Optimization of optical properties of photonic crystal fibers infiltrated with carbon tetrachloride for supercontinuum generation with subnanojoule femtosecond pulses.

PubMed

Dinh, Quang Ho; Pniewski, Jacek; Van, Hieu Le; Ramaniuk, Aleksandr; Long, Van Cao; Borzycki, Krzysztof; Xuan, Khoa Dinh; Klimczak, Mariusz; Buczyński, Ryszard

2018-05-10

A photonic crystal fiber (PCF) made of fused silica glass, infiltrated with carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ), is proposed as a new source of supercontinuum (SC) light. Guiding properties in terms of effective refractive index, attenuation, and dispersion of the fundamental mode are studied numerically. As a result, two optimized structures are selected and verified against SC generation in detail. The dispersion characteristic of the first structure has the zero-dispersion wavelength at 1.252 μm, while the dispersion characteristic of the second structure is all-normal and equals -4.37  ps·nm -1 ·km -1 at 1.55 μm. SC generation was demonstrated for the wavelengths 1.064 μm, 1.35 μm, and 1.55 μm. We prove the possibility of coherent, octave-spanning SC generation with 300 fs pulses with only 0.8 nJ of energy in-coupled into the core with each of the studied structures. Proposed fibers are fully compatible with all-silica fiber systems and PCFs with wide mode area, and can also be used for all-fiber SC sources. The proposed solution may lead to new low-cost all-fiber optical systems.

Spectral features of the Stokes part of supercontinuum generated by femtosecond light pulses in selected oxide crystals: A comparative study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macalik, B.; Kowalski, R. M.; Ryba-Romanowski, W.

2018-04-01

The peculiarities of the Stokes part of supercontinuum (SC) generated by femtosecond light pulses at wavelength 800 nm in single crystals of Gd2SiO5(GSO), Ca4GdO(BO3)3(GCOB), Gd3Ga5O12(GGG), LiTaO3 (LTO) and LuVO4 (LVO) were investigated. Spectral bandwidth and intensity of SC were measured as a function of energy of incident 100 fs pulses employing a grating spectrograph coupled with an InGaAs detector and spatial characteristics of the beam inside crystal samples were monitored perpendicularly to the direction of propagation and recorded using an optical microscope coupled with a camera. It was found that spectral widths of the Stokes part of SC increase markedly with increasing energy of incident pulses for all crystals under study. For fixed focusing conditions the spectral widths of generated SC in GSO, GCOB and GGG wide band-gap crystals are relatively large with cut-off wavelengths close to 1500 nm. Bandwidths of SC generated in LVO and LTO crystals, characterized by band-gaps Eg inferior to three times incident photon energy, are markedly smaller with cut-off wavelengths of 1300 nm and 1150 nm, respectively. Increase of incident pulse energy affects SC spectra giving rise to plateau-like regions stretching to ca 1000 nm.

Nondestructive distributed measurement of supercontinuum generation along highly nonlinear optical fibers.

PubMed

Hontinfinde, Régis; Coulibaly, Saliya; Megret, Patrice; Taki, Majid; Wuilpart, Marc

2017-05-01

Supercontinuum generation (SCG) in optical fibers arises from the spectral broadening of an intense light, which results from the interplay of both linear and nonlinear optical effects. In this Letter, a nondestructive optical time domain reflectometry method is proposed for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, to measure the spatial (longitudinal) evolution of the SC induced along an optical fiber. The method was experimentally tested on highly nonlinear fibers. The experimental results are in a good agreement with the optical spectra measured at the fiber outputs.

Supercontinuum generation in a tapered tellurite microstructured optical fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, X.; Ohishi, Y.

2014-07-01

Supercontinuum generation (SCG) was investigated in tapered tellurite microstructured optical fibers (MOFs) for various taper profiles. We emphasize on the procedure for finding the dispersion profile that achieve the best width of the SC spectra. An enhancement of the SCG is achieved by varying the taper waist diameter along its length in a carefully designed, and an optimal degree of tapering is found to exist for tapers with an axially uniform waist. We also show the XFROG spectrograms of the pulses propagating through different tapered fibers, confirming the optimized taper conditions.

Multioctave infrared supercontinuum generation in large-core As₂S₃ fibers.

PubMed

Théberge, Francis; Thiré, Nicolas; Daigle, Jean-François; Mathieu, Pierre; Schmidt, Bruno E; Messaddeq, Younès; Vallée, Réal; Légaré, François

2014-11-15

We report on infrared supercontinuum (SC) generation through laser filamentation and subsequent nonlinear propagation in a step-index As2S3 fiber. The 100 μm core and high-purity As2S3 fiber used exhibit zero-dispersion wavelength around 4.5 μm, a mid-infrared background loss of 0.2  dB/m, and a maximum loss of only 0.55  dB/m at the S-H absorption peak around 4.05 μm. When pumping with ultrashort laser pulses slightly above the S-H absorption band, broadband infrared supercontinua were generated with a 20 dB spectral flatness spanning from 1.5 up to 7 μm. The efficiency and spectral shape of the SC produced by ultrashort pulses in large-core As2S3 fiber are mainly determined by its dispersion, the S-H contaminant absorption, and the mid-infrared nonlinear absorption.

Ultra-flat and ultra-broadband supercontinuum generation in photonic crystal fiber pumped by noise-like pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yewang; Ruan, Shuangchen; Wu, Xu; Guo, Chunyu; Liu, Weiqi; Yu, Jun; Luo, Ruoheng; Ren, Xikui; Zhu, Yihuai

2017-02-01

An ultra-flat and ultra-broadband supercontinuum (SC) is demonstrated in a 4-m photonic crystal fiber (PCF) pumped by an Yb-doped all-fiber noise-like pulses (NLP) laser. The Yb-doped fiber laser is seeded by a SESAM mode-locked fiber laser, and amplified by cascaded fiber amplifiers, with its center wavelength, repetition frequency and the average noise-like bunch duration of 1064.52 nm, 50.18 MHz, 9.14 ps, respectively. Pumped by this NLP laser, the SC source has a 3 dB bandwidth and a 7 dB bandwidth (ignore the pump residue) of 1440 nm and 1790 nm at the maximum average output power of 6.94 W. To the best of our knowledge, this flatness is significantly prominent for the performance of PCF-based SC sources.

Supercontinuum generation covering the entire 0.4-5 µm transmission window in a tapered ultra-high numerical aperture all-solid fluorotellurite fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Z. X.; Yao, C. F.; Jia, S. J.; Wang, F.; Wang, S. B.; Zhao, Z. P.; Liao, M. S.; Qin, G. S.; Hu, L. L.; Ohishi, Y.; Qin, W. P.

2018-02-01

Enormous efforts have been made to realize supercontinuum (SC) generation covering the entire transmission window of fiber materials for their wide applications in many fields. Here we demonstrate ultra-broadband SC generation from 400 to 5140 nm in a tapered ultra-high numerical aperture (NA) all-solid fluorotellurite fiber pumped by a 1560 nm mode-locked fiber laser. The fluorotellurite fibers are fabricated using a rod-in-tube method. The core and cladding materials are TeO2-BaF2-Y2O3- and TeO2-modified fluoroaluminate glasses, respectively, which have large refractive index contrast and similar thermal expansion coefficients and softening temperatures. The NA at 3200 nm of the fluorotellurite fiber is about 1.11. Furthermore, tapered fluorotellurite fibers are prepared using an elongation machine. SC generation covering the entire 0.4-5 µm transmission window is achieved in a tapered fluorotellurite fiber for a pumping peak power of ~10.5 kW through synergetic control of dispersion, nonlinearity, confinement loss and other unexpected effects (e.g. the attachment of dust or water to the surface of the fiber core) of the fiber. Our results show that tapered ultra-high NA all-solid soft glass fibers have a potential for generating SC light covering their entire transmission window.

Towards a table-top synchrotron based on supercontinuum generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petersen, Christian R.; Moselund, Peter M.; Huot, Laurent; Hooper, Lucy; Bang, Ole

2018-06-01

Recently, high brightness and broadband supercontinuum (SC) sources reaching far into the infrared (IR) have emerged with the potential to rival traditional broadband sources of IR radiation. Here, the brightness of these IR SC sources is compared with that of synchrotron IR beamlines and SiC thermal emitters (Globars). It is found that SC sources can deliver a brightness that is 5-6 orders of magnitude higher than Globars and 1-2 orders of magnitude higher than typical IR beamlines, matching the beamlines at least out to 10.6 μm (940 cm-1). This means that these sources can now cover nearly all of the 800-5000 cm-1 spectrum (2-12.5 μm) which is frequently used in IR spectroscopy and microscopy. To demonstrate applicability, such an IR SC source was used for transmission spectroscopy of highly scattering filtration membranes from 3500 to 1300 cm-1, and transmission microscopy of colon tissue at 1538 cm-1.

Polarization and dispersion properties of elliptical hole golden spiral photonic crystal fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agrawal, A.; Kejalakshmy, N.; Rahman, B. M. A.; Grattan, K. T. V.

2010-06-01

An elliptical air-hole golden spiral photonic crystal fiber (EGS-PCF) is analyzed with the full-vectorial finite element method. The air-holes in the EGS-PCF are arranged in a spiral pattern governed by the Golden Ratio, where the design has been inspired by the optimal arrangement of seeds found in nature. The EGS-PCF exhibits extremely high birefringence (˜0.022 at operating wavelength 1550 nm) which is particularly useful for generating a polarization stable supercontinuum (SC). The fiber can also be designed to have a Zero Dispersion Wavelength (ZDW) at a suitable wavelength for only one polarization and large negative dispersion for the other, leading to a single-polarization SC. In addition, the fiber dispersion can be designed to obtain ZDWs at 800 nm and 1064 nm simultaneously, which can facilitate broadband supercontinuum generation (SCG) through multi-wavelength pumping.

Ultra-low noise supercontinuum source for ultra-high resolution optical coherence tomography at 1300 nm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalo, I. B.; Maria, M.; Engelsholm, R. D.; Feuchter, T.; Leick, L.; Moselund, P. M.; Podoleanu, A.; Bang, O.

2018-02-01

Supercontinuum (SC) sources are of great interest for many applications due to their ultra-broad optical bandwidth, good beam quality and high power spectral density [1]. In particular, the high average power over large bandwidths makes SC light sources excellent candidates for ultra-high resolution optical coherence tomography (UHR-OCT) [2-5]. However, conventional SC sources suffer from high pulse-to-pulse intensity fluctuations as a result of the noise-sensitive nonlinear effects involved in the SC generation process [6-9]. This intensity noise from the SC source can limit the performance of OCT, resulting in a reduced signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) [10-12]. Much work has been done to reduce the noise of the SC sources for instance with fiber tapers [7,8] or increasing the repetition rate of the pump laser for averaging in the spectrometer [10,12]. An alternative approach is to use all-normal dispersion (ANDi) fibers [13,14] to generate SC light from well-known coherent nonlinear processes [15-17]. In fact, reduction of SC noise using ANDi fibers compared to anomalous dispersion SC pumped by sub-picosecond pulses has been recently demonstrated [18], but a cladding mode was used to stabilize the ANDi SC. In this work, we characterize the noise performance of a femtosecond pumped ANDi based SC and a commercial SC source in an UHR-OCT system at 1300 nm. We show that the ANDi based SC presents exceptional noise properties compared to a commercial source. An improvement of 5 dB in SNR is measured in the UHR-OCT system, and the noise behavior resembles that of a superluminiscent diode. This preliminary study is a step forward towards development of an ultra-low noise SC source at 1300 nm for ultra-high resolution OCT.

Modulation instability initiated high power all-fiber supercontinuum lasers and their applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexander, Vinay V.; Kulkarni, Ojas P.; Kumar, Malay; Xia, Chenan; Islam, Mohammed N.; Terry, Fred L.; Welsh, Michael J.; Ke, Kevin; Freeman, Michael J.; Neelakandan, Manickam; Chan, Allan

2012-09-01

High average power, all-fiber integrated, broadband supercontinuum (SC) sources are demonstrated. Architecture for SC generation using amplified picosecond/nanosecond laser diode (LD) pulses followed by modulation instability (MI) induced pulse breakup is presented and used to demonstrate SC sources from the mid-IR to the visible wavelengths. In addition to the simplicity in implementation, this architecture allows scaling up of the SC average power by increasing the pulse repetition rate and the corresponding pump power, while keeping the peak power, and, hence, the spectral extent approximately constant. Using this process, we demonstrate >10 W in a mid-IR SC extending from ˜0.8 to 4 μm, >5 W in a near IR SC extending from ˜0.8 to 2.8 μm, and >0.7 W in a visible SC extending from ˜0.45 to 1.2 μm. SC modulation capability is also demonstrated in a mid-IR SC laser with ˜3.9 W in an SC extending from ˜0.8 to 4.3 μm. The entire system and SC output in this case is modulated by a 500 Hz square wave at 50% duty cycle without any external chopping or modulation. We also explore the use of thulium doped fiber amplifier (TDFA) stages for mid-IR SC generation. In addition to the higher pump to signal conversion efficiency demonstrated in TDFAs compared to erbium/ytterbium doped fiber amplifier (EYFA), the shifting of the SC pump from ˜1.5 to ˜2 μm is pursued with an attempt to generate a longer extending SC into the mid-IR. We demonstrate ˜2.5 times higher optical conversion efficiency from pump to SC generation in wavelengths beyond 3.8 μm in the TDFA versus the EYFA based SC systems. The TDFA SC spectrum extends from ˜1.9 to 4.5 μm with ˜2.6 W at 50% modulation with a 250 Hz square wave. A variety of applications in defense, health care and metrology are also demonstrated using the SC laser systems presented in this paper.

All-fiber broadband supercontinuum generation in a single-mode high nonlinear silica fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Weiqing; Liao, Meisong; Yang, Lingzhen; Yan, Xin; Suzuki, Takenobu; Ohishi, Yasutake

2012-06-01

We demonstrate an all-fiber broadband supercontinuum (SC) source with high efficiency in a single-mode high nonlinear silica fiber. The SC is pumped by the 1557 nm sub-picosecond pulse, which is generated by a homemade passively mode-locked fiber laser, amplified by an EDFA and compressed to 600 fs. The high nonlinear fiber used in experiments has the zero-dispersion wavelength of 1584 nm with low dispersion slope. The pump pulse is in the normal dispersion region and the SC generation is initiated by the SPM effect. When the long-wave band of the spectrum is extended to the anomalous dispersion region, the soliton effects and intra-pulse Raman effects extend the spectrum further. Meanwhile, the dispersive waves shorter than 1100 nm begin to emerge because the phase matching condition is satisfied and the intensity increases with increasing the pump intensity. The broad SC spectrum with the spectral range from 840 to 2390 nm is obtained at the pump peak power of 46.71 kW, and the 10 dB bandwidth from 1120 nm to 2245 nm of the SC covers one octave assuming the peak near 1550 nm is filtered. The temporal trace of the SC has the repetition rate of 16.7 MHz, and some satellite pulses are generated during the nonlinear process. The SC source system is constructed by all-fiber components, which can be fusion spliced together directly with low loss less than 0.1 dB and improves the energy transfer efficiency from the pump source to the SC greatly. The maximum SC average power of 332 mW is obtained for the total spectral range, and the slop efficiency to the pump source is about 70.3%, which will be lower when the peaks near 1550 nm are filtered, but is higher than those in PCFs. The spectral density for the 10 dB bandwidth is in the range from -17.3 to -7.3 dBm/nm.

Electronic tunability of zero dispersion wavelengths in a spiral photonic crystal fiber for supercontinuum generation in the communication window

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hossain, Md. Nazmul; Alam, M. Shah; Mohsin, K. M.; Hasan, Dihan Md. Nuruddin

2011-08-01

A liquid crystal infiltrated spiral photonic crystal fiber (LCSPCF) is presented here for electrical tuning of two zero dispersion wavelengths (ZDWs) in the present communication window. The proposed LCSPCF shows tunability of the ZDWs from 1433 nm to 2136 nm due to the rotation of the infiltrated LC mesogen induced by the external electric field. Therefore, the ZDW can easily be shifted towards the available pump wavelength for effective supercontinuum generation (SCG) over a broad wavelength region. By tuning the bandwidth (BW) in between the two ZDWs the extension of the generated supercontinuum (SC) spectrum can also be electrically controlled. This will help the SCG in our desired band with optimum power budget. Moreover, the index guiding mechanism of the proposed soft glass LCSPCF shows improvement over the narrow operational bandwidth and the low nonlinearity of the band-gap guided silica LCPCF. Additionally, the solid core of the proposed LCSPCF is less lossy than the previously proposed liquid crystal core PCF.

Broadband supercontinuum generation in a telecommunication fibre pumped by a nanosecond Tm, Ho:YVO{sub 4} laser

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhou Ren-Lai; Ren Jian-Cun; Lou Shu-Li

2015-07-31

Broadband supercontinuum (SC) generation in a telecommunication fibre [8/125-μm single mode fibre (SMF) and 50/125-μm multimode fibre (MMF)] directly pumped by a nanosecond Q-switched Tm, Ho:YVO{sub 4} laser is demonstrated. At a 7-kHz pulse repetition frequency (PRF), an output average power of 0.53 W in the 1.95 – 2.5-μm spectral band and 3.51 W in the 1.9 – 2.6-μm spectral band are achieved in SMF and MMF, respectively (the corresponding optic-to-optic conversion efficiencies are 34.6% and 73.7%). The output spectra have extremely high flat segments in the range 2070 – 2390 nm and 2070 – 2475 nm with negligible intensitymore » variation (less than 2%). The SC average power is scalable from 2.1 to 4.2 W by increasing the PRF from 5 to 15 kHz, while maintaining pump power. Compared with the input pump pulse, the output SC pulse width is broadened, and no split is found. The stability of the output SC power has been monitored for a week and the fluctuations being less than 6%. (control of radiation parameters)« less

A silica optical fiber doped with yttrium aluminosilicate nanoparticles for supercontinuum generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Tonglei; Liao, Meisong; Xue, Xiaojie; Li, Jiang; Gao, Weiqing; Li, Xia; Chen, Danping; Zheng, Shupei; Pan, Yubai; Suzuki, Takenobu; Ohishi, Yasutake

2016-03-01

We design and fabricate a silica optical fiber doped with yttrium aluminosilicate (YAS, Y2O3-Al2O3-SiO2) nanoparticles in the core. The optical fiber is drawn directly from a silica tube with YAG (Y3Al5O12) ceramics and silica powders (the molar ratio 1:18) in the core at the temperature of ∼1950 °C. The YAS nanoparticles are formed during the optical fiber drawing process. Supercontinuum (SC) generation in the optical fiber is investigated at different pump wavelength. At the pump wavelength of ∼1750 nm which is in the deep anomalous dispersion region, SC spectrum evolution is mainly due to multiple solitons and dispersive waves (DWs), and three pairs of multiple optical solitons and DWs are observed. When the pump wavelength shifts to ∼1500 nm which is close to the zero-dispersion wavelength (ZDW), flattened SC spectrum with ±7 dB uniformity is obtained at the wavelength region of ∼990-1980 nm, and only one obvious soliton and DW are observed. At the pump wavelength of ∼1100 nm, a narrow SC spectrum from ∼1020 to 1180 nm is obtained in the normal dispersion region due to self-phase modulation (SPM) effect.

Ultrahigh-brightness, spectrally-flat, short-wave infrared supercontinuum source for long-range atmospheric applications.

PubMed

Yin, Ke; Zhu, Rongzhen; Zhang, Bin; Jiang, Tian; Chen, Shengping; Hou, Jing

2016-09-05

Fiber based supercontinuum (SC) sources with output spectra covering the infrared atmospheric window are very useful in long-range atmospheric applications. It is proven that silica fibers can support the generation of broadband SC sources ranging from the visible to the short-wave infrared region. In this paper, we present the generation of an ultrahigh-brightness spectrally-flat 2-2.5 μm SC source in a cladding pumped thulium-doped fiber amplifier (TDFA) numerically and experimentally. The underlying physical mechanisms behind the SC generation process are investigated firstly with a numerical model which includes the fiber gain and loss, the dispersive and nonlinear effects. Simulation results show that abundant soliton pulses are generated in the TDFA, and they are shifted towards the long wavelength side very quickly with the nonlinearity of Raman soliton self-frequency shift (SSFS), and eventually the Raman SSFS process is halted due to the silica fiber's infrared loss. A spectrally-flat 2-2.5 μm SC source could be generated as the result of the spectral superposition of these abundant soliton pulses. These simulation results correspond qualitatively well to the following experimental results. Then, in the experiment, a cladding pumped large-mode-area TDFA is built for pursuing a high-power 2-2.5 μm SC source. By enhancing the pump strength, the output SC spectrum broadens to the long wavelength side gradually. At the highest pump power, the obtained SC source has a maximum average power of 203.4 W with a power conversion efficiency of 38.7%. It has a 3 dB spectral bandwidth of 545 nm ranging from 1990 to 2535 nm, indicating a power spectral density in excess of 370 mW/nm. Meanwhile, the output SC source has a good beam profile. This SC source, to the best of our knowledge, is the brightest spectrally-flat 2-2.5 μm light source ever reported. It will be highly desirable in a lot of long-range atmospheric applications, such as broad-spectrum LIDAR, free space communication and hyper-spectral imaging.

Noise study of all-normal dispersion supercontinuum sources for potential application in optical coherence tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalo, I. B.; Engelsholm, R. D.; Bang, O.

2018-03-01

Commercially available silica-fiber-based and ultra-broadband supercontinuum (SC) sources are typically generated by pumping close to the zero-dispersion wavelength (ZDW) of a photonic crystal fiber (PCF), using high-power picosecond or nanosecond laser pulses. Despite the extremely broad bandwidths, such sources are characterized by large intensity fluctuations, limiting their performance for applications in imaging such as optical coherence tomography (OCT). An approach to eliminate the influence of noise sensitive effects is to use a so-called all-normal dispersion (ANDi) fiber, in which the dispersion is normal for all the wavelengths of interest. Pumping these types of fibers with short enough femtosecond pulses allows to suppress stimulated Raman scattering (SRS), which is known to be as noisy process as modulation instability (MI), and coherent SC is generated through self-phase modulation (SPM) and optical wave breaking (OWB). In this study, we show the importance of the pump laser and fiber parameters in the design of low-noise ANDi based SC sources, for application in OCT. We numerically investigate the pulse-to-pulse fluctuations of the SC, calculating the relative intensity noise (RIN) as a function of the pump pulse duration and fiber length. Furthermore, we experimentally demonstrate the role of the fiber length on the RIN of the ANDi SC, validating the results calculated numerically. In the end, we compare the RIN of a commercial SC source based on MI and the ANDi SC source developed here, which shows better noise performance when it is carefully designed.

Combination of highly nonlinear fiber, an optical bandpass filter, and a Fabry-Perot filter to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of a supercontinuum continuous-wave optical source.

PubMed

Nan, Yinbo; Huo, Li; Lou, Caiyun

2005-05-20

We present a theoretical study of a supercontinuum (SC) continuous-wave (cw) optical source generation in highly nonlinear fiber and its noise properties through numerical simulations based on the nonlinear Schrödinger equation. Fluctuations of pump pulses generate substructures between the longitudinal modes that result in the generation of white noise and then in degradation of coherence and in a decrease of the modulation depths and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). A scheme for improvement of the SNR of a multiwavelength cw optical source based on a SC by use of the combination of a highly nonlinear fiber (HNLF), an optical bandpass filter, and a Fabry-Perot (FP) filter is presented. Numerical simulations show that the improvement in modulation depth is relative to the HNLF's length, the 3-dB bandwidth of the optical bandpass filter, and the reflection ratio of the FP filter and that the average improvement in modulation depth is 13.7 dB under specified conditions.

Modeling of dispersion engineered chalcogenide rib waveguide for ultraflat mid-infrared supercontinuum generation in all-normal dispersion regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad, H.; Karim, M. R.; Rahman, B. M. A.

2018-03-01

A rigorous numerical investigation has been carried out through dispersion engineering of chalcogenide rib waveguide for near-infrared to mid-infrared ultraflat broadband supercontinuum generation in all-normal group-velocity dispersion regime. We propose a novel design of a 1-cm-long air-clad rib waveguide which is made from {Ge}_{11.5} {As}_{24} {Se}_{64.5} chalcogenide glass as the core with either silica or {Ge}_{11.5} {As}_{24} {S}_{64.5} chalcogenide glass as a lower cladding separately. A broadband ultraflat supercontinuum spanning from 1300 to 1900 nm could be generated when pumped at 1.55 μ {m} with a low input peak power of 100 W. Shifting the pump to 2 μ {m}, the supercontinuum spectra extended in the mid-infrared region up to 3400 nm with a moderate-input peak power of 500 W. To achieve further extension in mid-infrared, we excite our optimized rib waveguide in both the anomalous and all-normal dispersion pumping regions at 3.1 μ {m} with a largest input peak power of 3 kW. In the case of anomalous dispersion region pumping, numerical analysis shows that supercontinuum spectrum can be extended in the mid-infrared up to 10 μ {m}, although this contains high spectral amplitude fluctuations over the entire bandwidth which limits the supercontinuum sources in the field of high precision measurement applications. On the other hand, by optimizing a rib waveguide geometry for pumping in all-normal dispersion region, we are able to generate a smooth and flat-top coherent supercontinuum spectrum with a moderate bandwidth spanning the wavelength range 2-5.5 μ {m} with less than 5 dB spectral fluctuation over the entire output bandwidth. Our proposed design is highly suitable for making on-chip SC light sources for a variety of applications such as biomedical imaging, and environmental and industrial sensing in the mid-infrared region.

Supercontinuum generation in square photonic crystal fiber with nearly zero ultra-flattened chromatic dispersion and fabrication tolerance analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Begum, Feroza; Namihira, Yoshinori; Kinjo, Tatsuya; Kaijage, Shubi

2011-02-01

This paper presents a simple index-guiding square photonic crystal fiber (SPCF) where the core is surrounded by air holes with two different diameters. The proposed design is simulated through an efficient full-vector modal solver based on the finite difference method with anisotropic perfectly matched layers absorbing boundary condition. The nearly zero ultra-flattened dispersion SPCF with low confinement loss, small effective area as well as broadband supercontinuum (SC) spectra is targeted. Numerical results show that the designed SPCF has been achieved at a nearly zero ultra-flattened dispersion of 0 ± 0.25 ps/(nm·km) in a wavelength range of 1.38 μm to 1.89 μm (510 nm band) which covers E, S, C, L and U communication bands, a low confinement loss of less than 10 -7 dB/m in a wavelength range of 1.3 μm to 2.0 μm and a wide SC spectrum (FWHM = 450 nm) by using picosecond pulses at a center wavelength of 1.55 μm. We then analyze the sensitivity of chromatic dispersion to small variations from the optimum value of specific structural parameters. The proposed index-guiding SPCF can be applicable in supercontinuum generation (SCG) covering such diverse fields as spectroscopy applications and telecommunication dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) sources.

Q-switch-pumped supercontinuum for ultra-high resolution optical coherence tomography.

PubMed

Maria, Michael; Bravo Gonzalo, Ivan; Feuchter, Thomas; Denninger, Mark; Moselund, Peter M; Leick, Lasse; Bang, Ole; Podoleanu, Adrian

2017-11-15

In this Letter, we investigate the possibility of using a commercially available Q-switch-pumped supercontinuum (QS-SC) source, operating in the kilohertz regime, for ultra-high resolution optical coherence tomography (UHR-OCT) in the 1300 nm region. The QS-SC source proves to be more intrinsically stable from pulse to pulse than a mode-locked-based SC (ML-SC) source while, at the same time, is less expensive. However, its pumping rate is lower than that used in ML-SC sources. Therefore, we investigate here specific conditions to make such a source usable for OCT. We compare images acquired with the QS-SC source and with a current state-of-the-art SC source used for imaging. We show that comparable visual contrast obtained with the two technologies is achievable by increasing the readout time of the camera to include a sufficient number of QS-SC pulses.

Development of a method to overcome the power threshold during supercontinuum generation based on an Yb-doped photonic crystal fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baselt, Tobias; Taudt, Christopher; Nelsen, Bryan; Lasagni, Andrés Fabián; Hartmann, Peter

2018-02-01

Optical coherence tomography benefits from the high brightness and bandwidth, as well as the spatial coherence of supercontinuum (SC) sources. The increase of spectral power density (SPD) over conventional light sources leads to shorter measuring times and higher resolutions. For some applications, only a portion of the broad spectral range can be used. Therefore, an increase of the SPD in specific limited spectral regions would provide a clear advantage over spectral filtering. This study describes a method to increase the SPD of SC sources by amplifying the excitation wavelength inside of a nonlinear photonic crystal fiber (PCF). An ytterbium-doped PCF was manufactured by a nanopowder process and used in a fiber amplifier setup as the nonlinear fiber medium. The performance of the fiber was compared with a conventional PCF that possesses comparable parameters. Finally, the system as a whole was characterized in reference to common solid-state laser-based photonic SC light sources. An order-of-magnitude improvement of the power density was observed between the wavelengths from 1100 to 1350 nm.

4.5 W supercontinuum generation from 1017 to 3438 nm in an all-solid fluorotellurite fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Zhixu; Yao, Chuanfei; Jia, Shijie; Wang, Fang; Wang, Shunbin; Zhao, Zhipeng; Qin, Guanshi; Ohishi, Yasutake; Qin, Weiping

2017-06-01

All-solid fluorotellurite fibers are fabricated by using a rod-in-tube method. The core and cladding materials are TeO2-BaF2-Y2O3 (TBY) and AlF3-based glasses, respectively. Since the refractive index (˜1.46) of AlF3-based glass is much lower than that (˜1.84) of TBY glass, the zero-dispersion-wavelength of the fabricated fiber can be tuned from 2145 to 1507 nm by varying the fiber core diameter from 50 to 3 μm. By using a 0.6 m long all-solid fluorotellurite fiber with a core diameter of ˜7 μm as the nonlinear medium and a 2 μm femtosecond fiber laser as the pump source, 4.5 W supercontinuum (SC) generation from 1017 to 3438 nm is obtained for a launched pump power of ˜10.48 W. The corresponding optical-to-optical conversion efficiency is about 42.9%. In addition, no any damage of the fluorotellurite fiber is observed during the operation of the above SC light source. Our results show that all-solid fluorotellurite fibers are promising nonlinear media for constructing high power mid-infrared SC light sources.

Mid-infrared supercontinuum generation in fluoride fiber amplifiers: current status and future perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gauthier, Jean-Christophe; Robichaud, Louis-Rafaël; Fortin, Vincent; Vallée, Réal; Bernier, Martin

2018-06-01

The quest for a compact and efficient broadband laser source able to probe the numerous fundamental molecular absorption lines in the mid-infrared (3-8 µm) for various applications has been going on for more than a decade. While robust commercial fiber-based supercontinuum (SC) systems have started to appear on the market, they still exhibit poor energy conversion into the mid-infrared (typically under 30%) and are generally not producing wavelengths exceeding 4.7 µm. Here, we present an overview of the results obtained from a novel approach to SC generation based on spectral broadening inside of an erbium-doped fluoride fiber amplifier seeded directly at 2.8 µm, allowing mid-infrared conversion efficiencies reaching up to 95% and spectral coverage approaching the transparency limit of ZrF4 (4.2 µm) and InF3 (5.5 µm) fibers. The general concept of the approach and the physical mechanisms involved are presented alongside the various configurations of the system to adjust the output characteristics in terms of spectral coverage and output power for different applications.

Experimental investigation on the high-order modes in supercontinuum generation from step-index As-S fibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Peng; Xue, Zugang; Tian, Youmei; Zhao, Zheming; Wang, Xunsi; Liu, Zijun; Zhang, Peiqing; Dai, Shixun; Nie, Qiuhua; Wang, Rongping

2018-06-01

Two kinds of step-index As-S fibers have been fabricated by an isolated extrusion method with a numerical aperture (NA) of 0.52, but with different core size of 10 or 50 µm. With a femtosecond laser pumping, their supercontinnum (SC) generation spectra were recorded in order to testify the effect of high-order modes on SC generation. The spectra spanning from 1.0 to 6.7 µm and from 1.5 to 8.6 µm can be obtained in a 16-cm-long fiber with 10 µm-core diameter pumping by central wavelength of 2.9 and 4.0 µm, respectively. The results show that high-order modes would deplete the spectra spanning in red-shifting part. The SC generation in small-core fiber is much more efficient than that in large-core fiber. This is the first comparative investigation on the SC generation from the quasi single- and multi-mode ChG fibers under the same conditions.

Optical aging observation in suspended core tellurite microstructured fibers under atmospheric conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strutynski, C.; Mouawad, O.; Picot-Clémente, J.; Froidevaux, P.; Désévédavy, F.; Gadret, G.; Jules, J.-C.; Kibler, B.; Smektala, F.

2017-11-01

Tellurite glasses are good candidates for the development of broadband supercontinuum (SC) laser sources in the 1-5 μm range. At the moment, beside very few exceptions, SC generation in TeO2-based microstructured optical fibers (MOFs) is limited to 3 μm in the mid-infrared (MIR). We present here an observation of an optical aging occurring in six-hole suspended-core tellurite MOFs. When exposed to atmospheric conditions, such fibers show an alteration of their transmission between 3 and 4 μm. This aging phenomenon leads to the growth of strong additional losses in this wavelengths range over time. Impact of the transmission degradation on spectral broadening is studied through numerical simulations of SC generation.

Modulational-instability-induced supercontinuum generation with saturable nonlinear response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raja, R. Vasantha Jayakantha; Porsezian, K.; Nithyanandan, K.

2010-07-01

We theoretically investigate the supercontinuum generation (SCG) on the basis of modulational instability (MI) in liquid-core photonic crystal fibers (LCPCF) with CS2-filled central core. The effect of saturable nonlinearity of LCPCF on SCG in the femtosecond regime is studied using an appropriately modified nonlinear Schrödinger equation. We also compare the MI induced spectral broadening with SCG obtained by soliton fission. To analyze the quality of the pulse broadening, we study the coherence of the SC pulse numerically. It is evident from the numerical simulation that the response of the saturable nonlinearity suppresses the broadening of the pulse. We also observe that the MI induced SCG in the presence of saturable nonlinearity degrades the coherence of the SCG pulse when compared to unsaturated medium.

Modulational-instability-induced supercontinuum generation with saturable nonlinear response

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Raja, R. Vasantha Jayakantha; Porsezian, K.; Nithyanandan, K.

2010-07-15

We theoretically investigate the supercontinuum generation (SCG) on the basis of modulational instability (MI) in liquid-core photonic crystal fibers (LCPCF) with CS{sub 2}-filled central core. The effect of saturable nonlinearity of LCPCF on SCG in the femtosecond regime is studied using an appropriately modified nonlinear Schroedinger equation. We also compare the MI induced spectral broadening with SCG obtained by soliton fission. To analyze the quality of the pulse broadening, we study the coherence of the SC pulse numerically. It is evident from the numerical simulation that the response of the saturable nonlinearity suppresses the broadening of the pulse. We alsomore » observe that the MI induced SCG in the presence of saturable nonlinearity degrades the coherence of the SCG pulse when compared to unsaturated medium.« less

Fully reconfigurable photonic microwave transversal filter based on digital micromirror device and continuous-wave, incoherent supercontinuum source.

PubMed

Lee, Ju Han; Chang, You Min; Han, Young-Geun; Lee, Sang Bae; Chung, Hae Yang

2007-08-01

The combined use of a programmable, digital micromirror device (DMD) and an ultrabroadband, cw, incoherent supercontinuum (SC) source is experimentally demonstrated to fully explore various aspects on the reconfiguration of a microwave filter transfer function by creating a range of multiwavelength optical filter shapes. Owing to both the unique characteristic of the DMD that an arbitrary optical filter shape can be readily produced and the ultrabroad bandwidth of the cw SC source that is 3 times larger than that of Er-amplified spontaneous emission, a multiwavelength optical beam pattern can be generated with a large number of wavelength filter taps apodized by an arbitrary amplitude window. Therefore various types of high-quality microwave filter can be readily achieved through the spectrum slicing-based photonic microwave transversal filter scheme. The experimental demonstration is performed in three aspects: the tuning of a filter resonance bandwidth at a fixed resonance frequency, filter resonance frequency tuning at a fixed resonance frequency, and flexible microwave filter shape reconstruction.

CMOS compatible on-chip telecom-band to mid-infrared supercontinuum generation in dispersion-engineered reverse strip/slot hybrid Si3N4 waveguide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hui, Zhanqiang; Zhang, Lingxuan; Zhang, Wenfu

2018-01-01

A silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based reverse strip/slot hybrid waveguide with single vertical silica slot is proposed to acquire extremely low and flat chromatic dispersion profile. This is achieved by design and optimization of the geometrical structural parameters of the reverse hybrid waveguide. The flat dispersion varying between ±10 ps/(nm.km) is obtained over 610 nm bandwidth. Both the effective area and nonlinear coefficient of the waveguide across the entire spectral range of interest are investigated. This led to design of an on-chip supercontinuum (SC) source with -30 dB bandwidth of 2996 nm covering from 1.209 to 4.205 μm. Furthermore, we discuss the output signal spectral and temporal characteristic as a function of the pump power. Our waveguide design offers a CMOS compatible, low-cost/high yield (no photolithography or lift-off processes are necessary) on-chip SC source for near- and mid-infrared nonlinear applications.

Application of supercontinuum radiation for mid-infrared spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kilgus, Jakob; Müller, Petra; Moselund, Peter M.; Brandstetter, Markus

2016-04-01

The emergence of new laser-based mid-infrared (MIR) sources, such as quantum cascade lasers (QCL), led to substantial developments in the field of MIR spectroscopy in the last decade. Recently, also MIR supercontinuum (SC) sources became available. They combine broadband spectral emission known from thermal sources emission with coherent properties known from laser sources like QCLs. Nevertheless, while the latter already find practical application in the field of optical sensing, SC sources have yet to prove their applicability. In this contribution we present the development, characterization and application of a measurement concept consisting of a fiber-coupled broadband MIR SC source (1.75 μm-4.2 μm, 75 mW optical power) and a fully-integrated MOEMS-based Fabry-Pérot microspectrometer (FPMS) for MIR spectroscopy. The main hindrance for the use of SC sources in spectroscopy so far, are the significant pulse-to-pulse fluctuations arising from the non-linear nature of the SC generation process. We show to what extent spectral averaging makes sense and evaluate the noise performance. By combining a SC source and a FPMS it was possible to significantly reduce noise in spectral, time and polarization domain, resulting in a set-up suitable for MIR spectroscopy. The performance of the set-up was characterized both in transmission and reflection geometry. Low-noise absorption spectra of oils, polymers and aqueous solutions of acetic acid were acquired . Furthermore, time-resolved measurements of the curing process of ethyl-2-cyanoacrylate and results of the chemical mapping of a painted metal surface are reported. The obtained results prove the concept of SC-FPMS promising for MIR spectroscopy, characterized by its simplicity and versatility.

Imaging of high-pressure fuel sprays in the near-nozzle region with supercontinuum illumination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Yipeng; Si, Jinhai; Tan, Wenjiang; Wang, Mingxin; Yang, Bo; Hou, Xun

2018-04-01

We employ a supercontinuum (SC) illumination to image the high-pressure fuel sprays in the near-nozzle region. The effect of speckles in the images is significantly mitigated using the SC illumination to improve the identifiability of the microstructures in the spray. The microstructures in the near-nozzle region, i.e., lobes, holes, ligaments, and bridges, are clearly imaged for different fuel pressures and nozzle orifice diameters. The shadowgraphs captured in the experiments also show the spray cone angle of spray is strongly dependent on the injection pressures and nozzle orifice diameters.

A widely tunable dual-wavelength based on a microring resonator filter device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amiri, Iraj S.; Ariannejad, M. M.; Tiu, Z. C.; Ooi, S. I.; Aidit, S. N.; Alizadeh, F.; Yupapin, P.

2018-06-01

We demonstrate a stable, tunable dual-wavelength (DW) generated by launching an in-house built supercontinuum (SC) into an add-drop microring resonator (MRR). The MRR is fabricated from a silicon–nitrogen–oxygen substrate. The frequency comb of the filtered SC is obtained with an experimental free spectral range (FSR) from 0.39 to 0.46 nm corresponding to 48.7–57 GHz within the wavelength range 1520–1660 nm. The stability of a generated DW within the ranges 1561.16 and 1561.57 nm over 120 min is examined, where high, stable DW with a very low power fluctuation is achieved. This work has demonstrated the use of waveguide based MRR in the fiber laser system, and a remarkable flat and low power fluctuations frequency comb is achieved using the in-house built SC source and MRR.

Imaging using a supercontinuum laser to assess tumors in patients with breast carcinoma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sordillo, Laura A.; Sordillo, Peter P.; Alfano, R. R.

2016-03-01

The supercontinuum laser light source has many advantages over other light sources, including broad spectral range. Transmission images of paired normal and malignant breast tissue samples from two patients were obtained using a Leukos supercontinuum (SC) laser light source with wavelengths in the second and third NIR optical windows and an IR- CCD InGaAs camera detector (Goodrich Sensors Inc. high response camera SU320KTSW-1.7RT with spectral response between 900 nm and 1,700 nm). Optical attenuation measurements at the four NIR optical windows were obtained from the samples.

Influence of wave-front curvature on supercontinuum energy during filamentation of femtosecond laser pulses in water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Potemkin, F. V.; Mareev, E. I.; Smetanina, E. O.

2018-03-01

We demonstrate that using spatially divergent incident femtosecond 1240-nm laser pulses in water leads to an efficient supercontinuum generation in filaments. Optimal conditions were found when the focal plane is placed 100 -400 μ m before the water surface. Under sufficiently weak focusing conditions [numerical aperture (NA )<0.2 ] and low-energy laser pulses, the supercontinuum energy generated in divergent beams is higher than the supercontinuum energy generated in convergent beams. Analysis by means of the unidirectional pulse propagation equation shows a dramatic difference between filamentation scenarios of divergent and convergent beams, that explains corresponding features of the supercontinuum generation. Under strong focusing conditions (NA ⩾0.2 ) and high-energy laser pulses, the supercontinuum generation is suppressed for convergent beams in contrast to divergent beams that nevertheless are shown experimentally to allow supercontinuum generation. The presented technique of the supercontinuum generation in divergent beams in water is highly demanded in a development of femtosecond optical parametric amplifiers.

Adjustable supercontinuum laser source with low coherence length and low timing jitter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andreana, Marco; Bertrand, Anthony; Hernandez, Yves; Leproux, Philippe; Couderc, Vincent; Hilaire, Stéphane; Huss, Guillaume; Giannone, Domenico; Tonello, Alessandro; Labruyère, Alexis; Rongeat, Nelly; Nérin, Philippe

2010-04-01

This paper introduces a supercontinuum (SC) laser source emitting from 400 nm to beyond 1750 nm, with adjustable pulse repetition rate (from 250 kHz to 1 MHz) and duration (from ~200 ps to ~2 ns). This device makes use of an internally-modulated 1.06 μm semiconductor laser diode as pump source. The output radiation is then amplified through a preamplifier (based on single-mode Yb-doped fibres) followed by a booster (based on a double-clad Yb-doped fibre). The double-clad fibre output is then spliced to an air-silica microstructured optical fibre (MOF). The small core diameter of the double-clad fibre allows reducing the splice loss. The strongly nonlinear propagation regime in the MOF leads to the generation of a SC extending from the violet to the nearinfrared wavelengths. On the Stokes side of the 1.06 μm pump line, i.e., in the anomalous dispersion regime, the spectrum is composed of an incoherent distribution of quasi-solitonic components. Therefore, the SC source is characterised by a low coherence length, which can be tuned by simply modifying pulse duration, that is closely related to the number of quasi-solitonic components brought into play. Finally, the internal modulation of the laser diode permits to achieve excellent temporal stability, both in terms of average power and pulse-to-pulse period.

High-pulse energy supercontinuum laser for high-resolution spectroscopic photoacoustic imaging of lipids in the 1650-1850 nm region.

PubMed

Dasa, Manoj Kumar; Markos, Christos; Maria, Michael; Petersen, Christian R; Moselund, Peter M; Bang, Ole

2018-04-01

We propose a cost-effective high-pulse energy supercontinuum (SC) source based on a telecom range diode laser-based amplifier and a few meters of standard single-mode optical fiber, with a pulse energy density as high as ~25 nJ/nm in the 1650-1850 nm regime (factor >3 times higher than any SC source ever used in this wavelength range). We demonstrate how such an SC source combined with a tunable filter allows high-resolution spectroscopic photoacoustic imaging and the spectroscopy of lipids in the first overtone transition band of C-H bonds (1650-1850 nm). We show the successful discrimination of two different lipids (cholesterol and lipid in adipose tissue) and the photoacoustic cross-sectional scan of lipid-rich adipose tissue at three different locations. The proposed high-pulse energy SC laser paves a new direction towards compact, broadband and cost-effective source for spectroscopic photoacoustic imaging.

Mid-IR supercontinuum generation and applications: a review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Shizhuo; Ruffin, Paul; Brantley, Christina; Edwards, Eugene; Luo, Claire

2014-09-01

In this paper, a review on mid-IR supercontinuum generation (SCG) and its applications is presented. First, the physical mechanism of the supercontinuum generation in IR crystal fiber is introduced. Second, the recent progress on IR single crystal fiber, in particular ultrathin core double cladding IR single crystal fiber is described. Third, the transmission characteristics of mid-IR crystal fiber is illustrated. Fourth, the mid-IR supercontinuum generation in IR single crystal fiber is presented. Finally, the application of IR supercontinuum for smart target recognition is illustrated

High efficiency IR supercontinuum generation and applications: a recent review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Shizhuo; Ruffin, Paul; Brantley, Christina; Edwards, Eugene; Cheng, Jiping; Luo, Claire

2012-10-01

In this paper, we have reviewed our recent works on IR supercontinuum generation (SCG) and its applications. First, we provide a brief review on the physical mechanism of the supercontinuum generation and our previous works in this field. Second, a thinner IR crystal fiber is fabricated. The supercontinuum generation in this thinner fiber is also demonstrated, which shows the enhanced performance. The suggestion for the future effort is also included.

Visible supercontinuum generation from a tunable mid-infrared laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marble, Christopher B.; O'Connor, Sean P.; Nodurft, Dawson T.; Yakovlev, Vladislav V.; Wharmby, Andrew W.

2018-02-01

Calcium fluoride, BK7 and fused silica are common optical materials used in lenses and windows. In this report, we discuss supercontinuum generation using tunable femtosecond mid-IR laser pulses with wavelengths ranging from 2.7 μm to 7.0 μm and pulse energies between 3 and 18 microjoules. We observed harmonic generation in fused silica and BK7, but not supercontinuum generation. Other borosilicate targets generated supercontinuum in both visible and near infrared regions of the spectrum. The visible supercontinuum was, in some instances, strong enough to be observed directly by the human eye. These results contribute to ongoing work being done to refine eye safety standards for femtosecond lasers.

Modeling of visible-extended supercontinuum generation from a tapered Ytterbium-doped fiber amplifier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Rui; Lei, Chengmin; Han, Kai; Chen, Zilun; Pu, Dongsheng; Hou, Jing

2017-05-01

Supercontinuum generation directly from a nonlinear fiber amplifier, especially from a nonlinear ytterbium-doped fiber amplifier, attracts more and more attention due to its all-fiber structure, high optical to optical conversion efficiency, and high power output potential. However, the modeling of supercontinuum generation from a nonlinear fiber amplifier has been rarely reported. In this paper, the modeling of a tapered Ytterbium-doped fiber amplifier for visible extended to infrared supercontinuum generation is proposed based on the combination of the laser rate equations and the generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation. Ytterbium-doped fiber amplifier generally can not generate visible extended supercontinuum due to its pumping wavelength and zero-dispersion wavelength. However, appropriate tapering and four-wave mixing makes the visible extended supercontinuum generation from an ytterbium-doped fiber amplifier possible. Tapering makes the zero-dispersion wavelength of the ytterbium-doped fiber shift to the short wavelength and minimizes the dispersion matching. Four-wave mixing plays an important role in the visible spectrum generation. The influence of pulse width and pump power on the supercontinuum generation is calculated and analyzed. The simulation results imply that it is promising and possible to fabricate a visible-to-infrared supercontinuum with low pump power and flat spectrum by using the tapered ytterbium-doped fiber amplifier scheme as long as the related parameters are well-selected.

Near-infrared supercontinuum laser beam source in the second and third near-infrared optical windows used to image more deeply through thick tissue as compared with images from a lamp source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sordillo, Laura A.; Lindwasser, Lukas; Budansky, Yury; Leproux, Philippe; Alfano, Robert R.

2015-03-01

With the use of longer near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths, image quality can be increased due to less scattering (described by the inverse wavelength power dependence 1/λn where n≥1) and minimal absorption from water molecules. Longer NIR windows, known as the second (1100 nm to 1350 nm) and third (1600 to 1870 nm) NIR windows are utilized to penetrate more deeply into tissue media and produce high-quality images. An NIR supercontinuum (SC) laser light source, with wavelengths in the second and third NIR optical windows to image tissue provides ballistic imaging of tissue. The SC ballistic beam can penetrate depths of up to 10 mm through tissue.

Supercontinuum generation in an imaging fiber taper

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Kebin; Omenetto, Fiorenzo G.; Liu, Zhiwen

2006-12-01

We report on supercontinuum generation in individual fibers of a commercial Schott imaging fiber taper. Supercontinuum spectrum covering a wavelength range from about 500 nm to 1 μm was obtained. Unlike conventional approaches which use either a single micro-structured photonic crystal fiber (PCF) or an individual fiber or PCF taper, the availability of many fibers in an imaging taper can open new possibilities to independently and controllably generate supercontinuum arrays.

High efficiency IR supercontinuum generation and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Stuart (Shizhuo); Ruffin, Paul; Brantley, Christina; Edwards, Eugene; Yang, Chia-En; Luo, Claire

2010-08-01

In this paper, we have reviewed our recent works on IR supercontinuum generation (SCG) and its applications. First, we provide a brief review on the physical mechanism of the supercontinuum generation. Second, the advance of SCG in single crystal sapphire fibers is reviewed and introduced. In particular, we discussed how to fabricate thinned sapphire fiber and use it for high efficiency SCG. Finally, experimental results of chemical analysis with supercontinuum source are reviewed.

The supercontinuum laser as a flexible source for quasi-steady state and time resolved fluorescence studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fenske, Roger; Näther, Dirk U.; Dennis, Richard B.; Smith, S. Desmond

2010-02-01

Commercial Fluorescence Lifetime Spectrometers have long suffered from the lack of a simple, compact and relatively inexpensive broad spectral band light source that can be flexibly employed for both quasi-steady state and time resolved measurements (using Time Correlated Single Photon Counting [TCSPC]). This paper reports the integration of an optically pumped photonic crystal fibre, supercontinuum source1 (Fianium model SC400PP) as a light source in Fluorescence Lifetime Spectrometers (Edinburgh Instruments FLS920 and Lifespec II), with single photon counting detectors (micro-channel plate photomultiplier and a near-infrared photomultiplier) covering the UV to NIR range. An innovative method of spectral selection of the supercontinuum source involving wedge interference filters is also discussed.

Supercontinuum generation and analysis in extruded suspended-core As2S3 chalcogenide fibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Si, Nian; Sun, Lihong; Zhao, Zheming; Wang, Xunsi; Zhu, Qingde; Zhang, Peiqing; Liu, Shuo; Pan, Zhanghao; Liu, Zijun; Dai, Shixun; Nie, Qiuhua

2018-02-01

Compared with the traditional fluoride fibers and tellurite fibers that can work in the near-infrared region, suspended-core fibers based on chalcogenide glasses have wider transmitting regions and higher nonlinear coefficients, thus the mid-infrared supercontinuum generations can be achieved easily. Rather than adopting the traditional fabrication technique of hole-drilling and air filling, we adopted a totally novel extrusion technique to fabricate As2S3 suspended-core fibers with four holes, and its mid-infrared supercontinuum generation was investigated systematically by integrating theoretical simulation and empirical results. The generalized nonlinear SchrÖdinger equation was used to simulate the supercontinuum generation in the As2S3 suspended-core fibers. The simulated supercontinuum generation in the As2S3 suspended-core fibers with different pump wavelengths (2-5 µm), increasing powers (0.3-4 kW), and various fiber lengths (1-50 cm) was obtained by a simulative software, MATLAB. The experimental results of supercontinuum generation via femtosecond optical parametric amplification (OPA) were recorded by changing fiber lengths (5-25 cm), pump wavelengths (2.9-5 µm), and pump powers (10-200 kW). The simulated consulting spectra are consistent with the experimental results of supercontinuum generation only if the fiber loss is sufficiently low.

Dramatic enhancement of supercontinuum generation in elliptically-polarized laser filaments

PubMed Central

Rostami, Shermineh; Chini, Michael; Lim, Khan; Palastro, John P.; Durand, Magali; Diels, Jean-Claude; Arissian, Ladan; Baudelet, Matthieu; Richardson, Martin

2016-01-01

Broadband laser sources based on supercontinuum generation in femtosecond laser filamentation have enabled applications from stand-off sensing and spectroscopy to the generation and self-compression of high-energy few-cycle pulses. Filamentation relies on the dynamic balance between self-focusing and plasma defocusing – mediated by the Kerr nonlinearity and multiphoton or tunnel ionization, respectively. The filament properties, including the supercontinuum generation, are therefore highly sensitive to the properties of both the laser source and the propagation medium. Here, we report the anomalous spectral broadening of the supercontinuum for filamentation in molecular gases, which is observed for specific elliptical polarization states of the input laser pulse. The resulting spectrum is accompanied by a modification of the supercontinuum polarization state and a lengthening of the filament plasma column. Our experimental results and accompanying simulations suggest that rotational dynamics of diatomic molecules play an essential role in filamentation-induced supercontinuum generation, which can be controlled with polarization ellipticity. PMID:26847427

Supercontinuum white light lasers for flow cytometry

PubMed Central

Telford, William G.; Subach, Fedor V.; Verkhusha, Vladislav V.

2009-01-01

Excitation of fluorescent probes for flow cytometry has traditionally been limited to a few discrete laser lines, an inherent limitation in our ability to excite the vast array of fluorescent probes available for cellular analysis. In this report, we have used a supercontinuum (SC) white light laser as an excitation source for flow cytometry. By selectively filtering the wavelength of interest, almost any laser wavelength in the visible spectrum can be separated and used for flow cytometric analysis. The white light lasers used in this study were integrated into a commercial flow cytometry platform, and a series of high-transmission bandpass filters used to select wavelength ranges from the blue (~480 nm) to the long red (>700 nm). Cells labeled with a variety of fluorescent probes or expressing fluorescent proteins were then analyzed, in comparison with traditional lasers emitting at wavelengths similar to the filtered SC source. Based on a standard sensitivity metric, the white light laser bandwidths produced similar excitation levels to traditional lasers for a wide variety of fluorescent probes and expressible proteins. Sensitivity assessment using fluorescent bead arrays confirmed that the SC laser and traditional sources resulted in similar levels of detection sensitivity. Supercontinuum white light laser sources therefore have the potential to remove a significant barrier in flow cytometric analysis, namely the limitation of excitation wavelengths. Almost any visible wavelength range can be made available for excitation, allowing access to virtually any fluorescent probe, and permitting “fine-tuning” of excitation wavelength to particular probes. PMID:19072836

Numerical investigation on high power mid-infrared supercontinuum fiber lasers pumped at 3 µm.

PubMed

Wei, Chen; Zhu, Xiushan; Norwood, Robert A; Song, Feng; Peyghambarian, N

2013-12-02

High power mid-infrared (mid-IR) supercontinuum (SC) laser sources in the 3-12 µm region are of great interest for a variety of applications in many fields. Although various mid-IR SC laser sources have been proposed and investigated experimentally and theoretically in the past several years, power scaling of mid-IR SC lasers beyond 3 μm with infrared edges extending beyond 7 μm are still challenges because the wavelengths of most previously used pump sources are below 2 μm. These problems can be solved with the recent development of mode-locked fiber lasers at 3 μm. In this paper, high power mid-IR SC laser sources based on dispersion engineered tellurite and chalcogenide fibers and pumped by ultrafast lasers at 3 µm are proposed and investigated. Our simulation results show that, when a W-type tellurite fiber with a zero dispersion wavelength (ZDW) of 2.7 µm is pumped at 2.78 μm, the power proportion of the SC laser beyond 3 µm can exceed 40% and the attainable SC output power of the proposed solid-cladding tellurite fiber is one order of magnitude higher than that of existing microstructured tellurite fibers. Our calculation also predicts that a very promising super-broadband mid-IR SC fiber laser source covering two atmospheric windows and molecules' "fingerprint" region can be obtained with a microstructured As₂Se₃ chalcogenide fiber pumped at 2.78 μm.

Imaging of tissue using a NIR supercontinuum laser light source with wavelengths in the second and third NIR optical windows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sordillo, Laura A.; Lindwasser, Lukas; Budansky, Yury; Leproux, Philippe; Alfano, R. R.

2015-03-01

Supercontinuum light (SC) at wavelengths in the second (1,100 nm to 1,350 nm) and third (1,600 nm to 1,870 nm) NIR optical windows can be used to improve penetration depths of light through tissue and produce clearer images. Image quality is increased due to a reduction in scattering (inverse wavelength power dependence 1/λn, n≥1). We report on the use of a compact Leukos supercontinuum laser (model STM-2000-IR), which utilizes the spectral range from 700 nm to 2,400 nm and offers between 200 - 500 microwatt/nm power in the second and third NIR windows, with an InGaAs detector to image abnormalities hidden beneath thick tissue.

Simple modules for high efficiency conversion of standard ytterbium doped fiber lasers into octave spanning continuous-wave supercontinuum sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arun, S.; Choudhury, Vishal; Balaswamy, V.; Supradeepa, V. R.

2018-02-01

We have demonstrated a 34 W continuous wave supercontinuum using the standard telecom fiber (SMF 28e). The supercontinuum spans over a bandwidth of 1000 nm (>1 octave) from 880nm to 1900 nm with a substantial power spectral density of >1mW/nm from 880-1350 nm and 50-100mW/nm in 1350-1900 nm. The distributed feedback Raman laser architecture was used for pumping the supercontinuum which ensured high efficiency Raman conversions and helped in achieving a very high efficiency of 44% for supercontinuum generation. Using this architecture, Yb laser operating at any wavelength can be used for generating the supercontinuum and this was demonstrated by using two different Yb lasers operating at 1117nm and 1085 nm to pump the supercontinuum.

Generation of supercontinuum light in micro-structured fiber and polarization study at different wavelengths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valle-Atilano, F. J.; Estudillo-Ayala, J. M.; Filoteo-Razo, J. D.; Hernández-García, J. C.; Jáuregui-Vázquez, D.; Sierra-Hernández, J. M.; Rojas-Laguna, R.; Mata-Chavez, R. I.; Samano-Aguilar, L. F.

2016-09-01

In this work, we study the changes of polarization at different wavelengths in a supercontinuum source generated through a microchip laser in the IR spectrum. We use a microchip laser pulsed as pumped source, 1064 nm of wavelength, and a photonic crystal fiber by generated a supercontinuum spectrum. We twist the fiber to the purpose to induce birefringence and study the changes of the state of polarization, and through bandpass filters we observe a single wavelength of the broad spectrum obtained. Besides, ellipticity study for different filters and its relation with the supercontinuum results is discussed.

High efficiency IR supercontinuum generation and applications: a review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Shizhuo; Ruffin, Paul; Brantley, Christina; Edwards, Eugene; Cheng, Jiping; Yao, Jimmy; Luo, Claire

2011-10-01

In this paper, we have reviewed our recent works on IR supercontinuum generation (SCG) and its applications. First, we provide a brief review on the physical mechanism of the supercontinuum generation and our previous works in this field. Second, the transmission characteristics of a new type of IR fibers is presented. Furthermore, the SCG generation in this new type of optical fiber is experimentally demonstrated. Finally, the suggestion for the future effort is discussed.

Light bullets in transparent dielectrics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kandidov, Valerii; Chekalin, Sergey; Kompanets, Victor; Dormidonov, Alexander

2017-10-01

The state of research of the light bullets (LB) formation in the process of femtosecond laser pulse filamentation is presented. LB is a near single-cycle wave packet that is formed in the result of the light field self-organization in a nonlinear dispersive medium under matched spatiotemporal radiation self-compression in the regime of anomalous group-velocity dispersion (GVD). The formation of each LB is accompanied by the generation of a discrete portion of supercontinuum (SC) in the anti-Stokes region. LB is a short-lived robust object with parameters determined by fundamental properties of the medium and the laser pulse central wavelength.

Harnessing rogue wave for supercontinuum generation in cascaded photonic crystal fiber.

PubMed

Zhao, Saili; Yang, Hua; Zhao, Chujun; Xiao, Yuzhe

2017-04-03

Based on induced modulation instability, we present a numerical study on harnessing rogue wave for supercontinuum generation in cascaded photonic crystal fibers. By selecting optimum modulation frequency, we achieve supercontinuum with a great improvement on spectrum stability when long-pulse is used as the pump. In this case, rogue wave can be obtained in the first segmented photonic crystal fiber with one zero dispersion wavelength in a controllable manner. Numerical simulations show that spectral range and flatness can be regulated in an extensive range by cascading a photonic crystal fiber with two zero dispersion wavelengths. Some novel phenomena are observed in the second segmented photonic crystal fiber. When the second zero dispersion wavelength is close to the first one, rogue wave is directly translated into dispersion waves, which is conducive to the generation of smoother supercontinuum. When the second zero dispersion wavelength is far away from the first one, rogue wave is translated into the form of fundamental soliton steadily propagating in the vicinity of the second zero dispersion wavelength. Meanwhile, the corresponding red-shifted dispersion wave is generated when the phase matching condition is met, which is beneficial to the generation of wider supercontinuum. The results presented in this work provide a better application of optical rogue wave to generate flat and broadband supercontinuum in cascaded photonic crystal fibers.

Mid-infrared rogue wave generation in chalcogenide fibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Lai; Nagasaka, Kenshiro; Suzuki, Takenobu; Ohishi, Yasutake

2017-02-01

The supercontinuum generation and rogue wave generation in a step-index chalcogenide fiber are numerically investigated by solving the generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation. Two noise models have been used to model the noise of the pump laser pulses to investigate the consistency of the noise modeling in rogue wave generation. First noise model is 0.1% amplitude noise which has been used in the report of rogue wave generation. Second noise model is the widely used one-photon-per-mode-noise and phase diffusion-noise. The results show that these two commonly used noise models have a good consistency in the simulations of rogue wave generation. The results also show that if the pump laser pulses carry more noise, the chance of a rogue wave with a high peak power becomes higher. This is harmful to the SC generation by using picosecond lasers in the chalcogenide fibers.

Impact of material absorption on supercontinuum generation in liquid core photonic crystal fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nithyanandan, K.; Raja, Vasantha Jayakantha; Uthayakumar, T.; Porsezian, K.

2013-06-01

The impact of material absorption on supercontinuum generation (SCG) in liquid core photonic crystal fiber (LCPCF) is presented. While PCFs with cores made from different glasses are well studied in previous works with saturable nonlinear response (SNL), in this paper, it is planned to investigate the dynamics of nonlinear processes of supercontinuum generation in high-index fiber with material absorption to understand the physical phenomena of pulse propagation.

Tapered fluorotellurite microstructured fibers for broadband supercontinuum generation.

PubMed

Wang, Fang; Wang, Kangkang; Yao, Chuanfei; Jia, Zhixu; Wang, Shunbin; Wu, Changfeng; Qin, Guanshi; Ohishi, Yasutake; Qin, Weiping

2016-02-01

Fluorotellurite microstructured fibers (MFs) based on TeO2-BaF2-Y2O3 glasses are fabricated by using a rod-in-tube method. Tapered fluorotellurite MFs with varied transition region lengths are prepared by employing an elongation machine. By using a tapered fluorotellurite MF with a transition region length of ∼3.3  cm as the nonlinear medium and a 1560 nm femtosecond fiber laser as the pump source, broadband supercontinuum generation covering from 470 to 2770 nm is obtained. The effects of the transition region length of the tapered fluorotellurite MF on supercontinuum generation are also investigated. Our results show that tapered fluorotellurite MFs are promising nonlinear media for generating broadband supercontinuum light expanding from visible to mid-infrared spectral region.

Nearly penalty-free, less than 4 ps supercontinuum Gbit/s pulse generation over 1535-1560 nm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morioka, T.; Kawanishi, S.; Mori, K.; Saruwatari, M.

1994-05-01

Nearly penalty-free less than 4ps supercontinuum WDM pulses are generated at 6.3 Gbit/s over 1535-1560 nm for the first time using a 200 nm superbroadened supercontinuum in an optical fibre pumped by 1.7 W, 3.3 ps, 1542 nm short pulses from an Er(3+)-doped fibre ring laser.

Multi-octave supercontinuum generation from mid-infrared filamentation in a bulk crystal

PubMed Central

Silva, F.; Austin, D.R.; Thai, A.; Baudisch, M.; Hemmer, M.; Faccio, D.; Couairon, A.; Biegert, J.

2012-01-01

In supercontinuum generation, various propagation effects combine to produce a dramatic spectral broadening of intense ultrashort optical pulses. With a host of applications, supercontinuum sources are often required to possess a range of properties such as spectral coverage from the ultraviolet across the visible and into the infrared, shot-to-shot repeatability, high spectral energy density and an absence of complicated pulse splitting. Here we present an all-in-one solution, the first supercontinuum in a bulk homogeneous material extending from 450 nm into the mid-infrared. The spectrum spans 3.3 octaves and carries high spectral energy density (2 pJ nm−1–10 nJ nm−1), and the generation process has high shot-to-shot reproducibility and preserves the carrier-to-envelope phase. Our method, based on filamentation of femtosecond mid-infrared pulses in the anomalous dispersion regime, allows for compact new supercontinuum sources. PMID:22549836

Chalcogenide based rib waveguide for compact on-chip supercontinuum sources in mid-infrared domain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saini, Than Singh; Tiwari, Umesh Kumar; Sinha, Ravindra Kumar

2017-08-01

We have designed and analysed a rib waveguide structure in recently reported Ga-Sb-S based highly nonlinear chalcogenide glass for nonlinear applications. The proposed waveguide structure possesses a very high nonlinear coefficient and can be used to generate broadband supercontinuum in mid-infrared domain. The reported design of the chalcogenide waveguide offers two zero dispersion values at 1800 nm and 2900 nm. Such rib waveguide structure is suitable to generate efficient supercontinuum generation ranging from 500 - 7400 μm. The reported waveguide can be used for the realization of the compact on-chip supercontinuum sources which are highly applicable in optical imaging, optical coherence tomography, food quality control, security and sensing.

Quasi-Phase-Matched Supercontinuum Generation in Photonic Waveguides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hickstein, Daniel D.; Kerber, Grace C.; Carlson, David R.; Chang, Lin; Westly, Daron; Srinivasan, Kartik; Kowligy, Abijith; Bowers, John E.; Diddams, Scott A.; Papp, Scott B.

2018-02-01

Supercontinuum generation (SCG) in integrated photonic waveguides is a versatile source of broadband light, and the generated spectrum is largely determined by the phase-matching conditions. Here we show that quasi-phase-matching via periodic modulations of the waveguide structure provides a useful mechanism to control the evolution of ultrafast pulses during supercontinuum generation. We experimentally demonstrate a quasi-phase-matched supercontinuum to the TE20 and TE00 waveguide modes, which enhances the intensity of the SCG in specific spectral regions by as much as 20 dB. We utilize higher-order quasi-phase-matching (up to the 16th order) to enhance the intensity in numerous locations across the spectrum. Quasi-phase-matching adds a unique dimension to the design space for SCG waveguides, allowing the spectrum to be engineered for specific applications.

Octave-spanning supercontinuum generation in a silicon-rich nitride waveguide.

PubMed

Liu, Xing; Pu, Minhao; Zhou, Binbin; Krückel, Clemens J; Fülöp, Attila; Torres-Company, Victor; Bache, Morten

2016-06-15

We experimentally show octave-spanning supercontinuum generation in a nonstoichiometric silicon-rich nitride waveguide when pumped by femtosecond pulses from an erbium fiber laser. The pulse energy and bandwidth are comparable to results achieved in stoichiometric silicon nitride waveguides, but our material platform is simpler to manufacture. We also observe wave-breaking supercontinuum generation by using orthogonal pumping in the same waveguide. Additional analysis reveals that the waveguide height is a powerful tuning parameter for generating mid-infrared dispersive waves while keeping the pump in the telecom band.

Broadband telecom to mid-infrared supercontinuum generation in a dispersion-engineered silicon germanium waveguide.

PubMed

Ettabib, Mohamed A; Xu, Lin; Bogris, Adonis; Kapsalis, Alexandros; Belal, Mohammad; Lorent, Emerick; Labeye, Pierre; Nicoletti, Sergio; Hammani, Kamal; Syvridis, Dimitris; Shepherd, David P; Price, Jonathan H V; Richardson, David J; Petropoulos, Periklis

2015-09-01

We demonstrate broadband supercontinuum generation (SCG) in a dispersion-engineered silicon-germanium waveguide. The 3 cm long waveguide is pumped by femtosecond pulses at 2.4 μm, and the generated supercontinuum extends from 1.45 to 2.79 μm (at the -30  dB point). The broadening is mainly driven by the generation of a dispersive wave in the 1.5-1.8 μm region and soliton fission. The SCG was modeled numerically, and excellent agreement with the experimental results was obtained.

Low power generation of equalized broadband CW supercontinua using a novel technique incorporating modulation instability of line broadened pump

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prakash, Roopa; Choudhury, Vishal; Arun, S.; Supradeepa, V. R.

2018-02-01

Continuous-wave(CW) supercontinuum sources find applications in various domains such as imaging, spectroscopy, test and measurement. They are generated by pumping an optical fiber with a CW laser in the anomalous-dispersion region close to its zero-dispersion wavelength. Modulation instability(MI) sidebands are created, and further broadened and equalized by additional nonlinear processes generating the supercontinuum. This necessitates high optical powers and at lower powers, only MI sidebands can be seen without the formation of the supercontinuum. Obtaining a supercontinuum at low, easily manageable optical powers is attractive for many applications, but current techniques cannot achieve this. In this work, we propose a new mechanism for low power supercontinuum generation utilizing the modified MI gain spectrum for a line-broadened, decorrelated pump. A novel two-stage generation mechanism is demonstrated, where the first stage constituting standard telecom fiber slightly broadens the input pump linewidth. However, this process in the presence of dispersion, acts to de-correlate the different spectral components of the pump signal. When this is sent through highly nonlinear fiber near its zero-dispersion wavelength, the shape of the MI gain spectrum is modified, and this process naturally results in the generation of a broadband, equalized supercontinuum source at much lower powers than possible using conventional single stage spectral broadening. Here, we demonstrate a 0.5W supercontinuum source pumped using a 4W Erbium-Ytterbium co-doped fiber laser with a bandwidth spanning from 1300nm to 2000nm. We also demonstrate an interesting behaviour of this technique of relative insensitivity to the pump wavelength vis-a-vis zero-dispersion wavelength of the fiber.

Experimental investigation of the effect of pump incoherence on nonlinear pump spectral broadening and continuous-wave supercontinuum generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin-Lopez, S.; Carrasco-Sanz, A.; Corredera, P.; Abrardi, L.; Hernanz, M. L.; Gonzalez-Herraez, M.

2006-12-01

The development of high-power cw fiber lasers has triggered a great interest in the phenomena of nonlinear pump spectral broadening and cw supercontinuum generation. These effects have very convenient applications in Raman amplification, optical fiber metrology, and fiber sensing. In particular, it was recently shown that pump incoherence has a strong impact in these processes. We study experimentally the effect of pump incoherence in nonlinear pump spectral broadening and cw supercontinuum generation in optical fibers. We show that under certain experimental conditions an optimum degree of pump incoherence yields the best performance in the broadening process. We qualitatively explain these results, and we point out that these results may have important implications in cw supercontinuum optimization.

Supercontinuum generation in silicon waveguides relying on wave-breaking.

PubMed

Castelló-Lurbe, David; Silvestre, Enrique

2015-10-05

Four-wave-mixing processes enabled during optical wave-breaking (OWB) are exploited in this paper for supercontinuum generation. Unlike conventional approaches based on OWB, phase-matching is achieved here for these nonlinear interactions, and, consequently, new frequency production becomes more efficient. We take advantage of this kind of pulse propagation to obtain numerically a coherent octave-spanning mid-infrared supercontinuum generation in a silicon waveguide pumping at telecom wavelengths in the normal dispersion regime. This scheme shows a feasible path to overcome limits imposed by two-photon absorption on spectral broadening in silicon waveguides.

In-vivo multi-nonlinear optical imaging of a living cell using a supercontinuum light source generated from a photonic crystal fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kano, Hideaki; Hamaguchi, Hiro-O.

2006-04-01

A supercontinuum light source generated with a femtosecond Ti:Sapphire oscillator has been used to obtain both vibrational and two-photon excitation fluorescence (TPEF) images of a living cell simultaneously at different wavelengths. Owing to an ultrabroadband spectral profile of the supercontinuum, multiple vibrational resonances have been detected through coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) process. In addition to the multiplex CARS process, multiple electronic states can be excited due to the broadband electronic two-photon excitation using the supercontinuum, giving rise to a two-photon excitation fluorescence (TPEF) signal. Using a living yeast cell whose nucleus is labeled by green fluorescent protein (GFP), we have succeeded in visualizing organelles such as mitochondria, septum, and nucleus through the CARS and the TPEF processes. The supercontinuum enables us to perform unique multi-nonlinear optical imaging through two different nonlinear optical processes.

Spectral wings of the fiber supercontinuum and the dark-bright soliton interaction.

PubMed

Milián, C; Marest, T; Kudlinski, A; Skryabin, D V

2017-05-01

We present experimental and numerical data on the supercontinuum generation in an optical fiber pumped in the normal dispersion range where the seeded dark and the spontaneously generated bright solitons contribute to the spectral broadening. We report the dispersive radiation arising from the interaction of the bright and dark solitons. This radiation consists of the two weak dispersing pulses that continuously shift their frequencies and shape the short and long wavelength wings of the supercontinuum spectrum.

Towards an analytical framework for tailoring supercontinuum generation.

PubMed

Castelló-Lurbe, David; Vermeulen, Nathalie; Silvestre, Enrique

2016-11-14

A fully analytical toolbox for supercontinuum generation relying on scenarios without pulse splitting is presented. Furthermore, starting from the new insights provided by this formalism about the physical nature of direct and cascaded dispersive wave emission, a unified description of this radiation in both normal and anomalous dispersion regimes is derived. Previously unidentified physics of broadband spectra reported in earlier works is successfully explained on this basis. Finally, a foundry-compatible few-millimeters-long silicon waveguide allowing octave-spanning supercontinuum generation pumped at telecom wavelengths in the normal dispersion regime is designed, hence showcasing the potential of this new analytical approach.

Record power, ultra-broadband supercontinuum source based on highly GeO₂ doped silica fiber.

PubMed

Jain, D; Sidharthan, R; Moselund, P M; Yoo, S; Ho, D; Bang, O

2016-11-14

We demonstrate highly germania doped fibers for mid-infrared supercontinuum generation. Experiments ensure a highest output power of 1.44 W for a broadest spectrum from 700 nm to 3200 nm and 6.4 W for 800 nm to 2700 nm from these fibers, while being pumped by a broadband Erbium-Ytterbium doped fiber based master oscillator power amplifier. The effect of repetition frequency of pump source and length of germania-doped fiber has also been investigated. Further, germania doped fiber has been pumped by conventional supercontinuum source based on silica photonic crystal fiber supercontinuum source. At low power, a considerable broadening of 200-300 nm was observed. Further broadening of spectrum was limited due to limited power of pump source. Our investigations reveal the unexploited potential of germania doped fiber for mid-infrared supercontinuum generation. These measurements ensure the potential of germania based photonic crystal fiber or a step-index fiber supercontinuum source for high power ultra-broad band emission being by pumped a 1060 nm or a 1550 nm laser source. To the best of our knowledge, this is the record power, ultra-broadband, and all-fiberized supercontinuum light source based on silica and germania fiber ever demonstrated to the date.

Optical stealth transmission based on super-continuum generation in highly nonlinear fiber over WDM network.

PubMed

Zhu, Huatao; Wang, Rong; Pu, Tao; Fang, Tao; Xiang, Peng; Zheng, Jilin; Chen, Dalei

2015-06-01

In this Letter, the optical stealth transmission carried by super-continuum spectrum optical pulses generated in highly nonlinear fiber is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. In the proposed transmission scheme, super-continuum signals are reshaped in the spectral domain through a wavelength-selective switch and are temporally spread by a chromatic dispersion device to achieve the same noise-like characteristic as the noise in optical networks, so that in both the time domain and the spectral domain, the stealth signals are hidden in public channel. Our experimental results show that compared with existing schemes where stealth channels are carried by amplified spontaneous emission noise, super-continuum signal can increase the transmission performance and robustness.

Broadband mid-infrared supercontinuum generation in novel As2Se3-As2Se2 S step-index fibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yingying; Dai, Shixun; Han, Xin; Zhang, Peiqing; Liu, Yongxing; Wang, Xunsi; Sun, Shaochao

2018-03-01

We experimentally demonstrate the mid-infrared supercontinuum generation in a chalcogenide step-index fiber consisting of an As2Se3 core and an As2Se2 S cladding. The fiber with the core diameter of 21 μm was fabricated through the rod-in-tube technique and fiber-drawing process. The effect of pump wavelength, fiber length, and pump power on the spectral bandwidth and output power of the supercontinuum spectra generated from the fiber pumped by the ultrashort pulses of ∼ 150 fs with a repetition rate of 1000 Hz was systematically investigated. When pumping a 12-cm-long fiber at a wavelength of 6 . 5 μm with 14 mW pump laser power, a broadband supercontinuum spanning from 2 . 0 μm to 12 . 7 μm with an output power of 300 μW was obtained.

Mid-infrared supercontinuum generation spanning from 1.9 to 5.7 μm in a chalcogenide fiber taper with ultra-high NA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yingying; Dai, Shixun; Peng, Xuefeng; Zhang, Peiqing; Wang, Xunsi; You, Chenyang

2018-01-01

We report a broadband supercontinuum generation in a chalcogenide fiber taper with an ultra-high numerical aperture. The chalcogenide step-index fiber consisting of As2Se3 core and As2S3 cladding was fabricated by using the isolated stacked extrusion method. The fiber taper with a core diameter of 1.75 μm was prepared by employing a homemade tapering setup. By pumping the fiber taper with a femtosecond laser pulses at 3.3 μm, a broadband supercontinuum generation spanning from 1.9 to 5.7 μm was achieved.

A Novel Behavior of Pump Power in the Instability Induced Supercontinuum Generation of Saturable Nonlinear Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nithyanandan, K.; Porsezian, K.

2015-04-01

We investigate the modulational instability (MI) induced Supercontinuum generation (SCG) in exponential saturable nonlinearity. The pump power (P) is observed to behave in a unique way such that unlike the conventional Kerr case, the effective nonlinearity of saturable nonlinear system does not monotonously increases with an increase in power. The supercontinuum is observed at the shortest distance of propagation at power equal to the saturation power (Ps), whereas for all combinations of powers (P < Ps or P > Ps) spectral broadening occurs at longer distance.

Nonlinear optical properties and supercontinuum spectrum of titania-modified carbon quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulchin, Yu N.; Mayor, A. Yu; Proschenko, D. Yu; Postnova, I. V.; Shchipunov, Yu A.

2016-04-01

We have studied the nonlinear optical properties and supercontinuum spectrum of solutions of carbon quantum dots prepared by a hydrothermal process from chitin and then coated with titania. The titania coating has been shown to have an activating effect on the carbon quantum dots, enhancing supercontinuum generation in the blue-violet spectral region and enabling their nonlinear optical characteristics to be varied.

Mid-infrared supercontinuum generation in multimode step index chalcogenide fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ben Khalifa, Ameni; Ben Salem, Amine; Cherif, Rim; Zghal, Mourad

2016-09-01

In this paper, we propose a design of a high numerical aperture multimode hybrid step-index fiber for mid-infrared (mid- IR) supercontinuum generation (SCG) where two chalcogenide glass compositions As40Se60 and Ge10As23.4Se66.6 for the core and the cladding are selected, respectively. Aiming to get accurate modeling of the SCG by the fundamental mode, we solve the multimode generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equations and demonstrate nonlinear coupling and energy transfer between high order modes. The proposed study points out the impact of nonlinear mode coupling that should be taken into account in order to successfully predict the mid-infrared supercontinuum generation in highly nonlinear multimode fibers.

Continuous-wave supercontinuum laser based on an erbium-doped fiber ring cavity incorporating a highly nonlinear optical fiber.

PubMed

Lee, Ju Han; Takushima, Yuichi; Kikuchi, Kazuro

2005-10-01

We experimentally demonstrate a novel erbium-doped fiber based continuous-wave (cw) supercontinuum laser. The laser has a simple ring-cavity structure incorporating an erbium-doped fiber and a highly nonlinear dispersion-shifted fiber (HNL-DSF). Differently from previously demonstrated cw supercontinuum sources based on single propagation of a strong Raman pump laser beam through a highly nonlinear fiber, erbium gain inside the cavity generates a seed light oscillation, and the oscillated light subsequently evolves into a supercontinuum by nonlinear effects such as modulation instability and stimulated Raman scattering in the HNL-DSF. High quality of the depolarized supercontinuum laser output with a spectral bandwidth larger than 250 nm is readily achieved.

Multiband supercontinuum generation in an air-core revolver fibre

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yatsenko, Yu P.; Pleteneva, E. N.; Okhrimchuk, A. G.; Gladyshev, A. V.; Kosolapov, A. F.; Kolyadin, A. N.; Bufetov, I. A.

2017-06-01

Multiband supercontinuum generation in an air-core revolver fibre having a large number of transmission bands in a wide spectral range has been studied experimentally and theoretically for the first time. The fibre fabricated by us possesses unique dispersion and guidance characteristics for radiation transfer from one band to another despite the high losses at the band boundaries. In our experiments, launching 205-fs laser pulses of 110 μJ energy at 1028 nm into the fibre we have obtained a supercontinuum spanning the spectral range from 415 to 1593 nm, with 11 transmission bands. Numerical simulation suggests that, in the case of singlemode propagation of pulses with such energy in the fibre, the supercontinuum may span 14 transmission bands and have a spectral width above three octaves, with a long-wavelength edge at 4200 nm.

Mid-infrared-to-mid-ultraviolet supercontinuum enhanced by third-to-fifteenth odd harmonics.

PubMed

Mitrofanov, A V; Voronin, A A; Mitryukovskiy, S I; Sidorov-Biryukov, D A; Pugžlys, A; Andriukaitis, G; Flöry, T; Stepanov, E A; Fedotov, A B; Baltuška, A; Zheltikov, A M

2015-05-01

A high-energy supercontinuum spanning 4.7 octaves, from 250 to 6500 nm, is generated using a 0.3-TW, 3.9-μm output of a mid-infrared optical parametric chirped-pulse amplifier as a driver inducing a laser filament in the air. The high-frequency wing of the supercontinuum spectrum is enhanced by odd-order optical harmonics of the mid-infrared driver. Optical harmonics up to the 15th order are observed in supercontinuum spectra as overlapping, yet well-resolved peaks broadened, as verified by numerical modeling, due to spatially nonuniform ionization-induced blue shift.

Controlled supercontinua via spatial beam shaping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhdanova, Alexandra A.; Shen, Yujie; Thompson, Jonathan V.; Scully, Marlan O.; Yakovlev, Vladislav V.; Sokolov, Alexei V.

2018-06-01

Recently, optimization techniques have had a significant impact in a variety of fields, leading to a higher signal-to-noise and more streamlined techniques. We consider the possibility for using programmable phase-only spatial optimization of the pump beam to influence the supercontinuum generation process. Preliminary results show that significant broadening and rough control of the supercontinuum spectrum in the visible region are possible without loss of input energy. This serves as a proof-of-concept demonstration that spatial effects can controllably influence the supercontinuum spectrum, leading to possibilities for utilizing supercontinuum power more efficiently and achieving excellent spectral control.

Ultra wide band supercontinuum generation in air-silica holey fibers by SHG-induced modulation instabilities.

PubMed

Tombelaine, Vincent; Lesvigne, Christelle; Leproux, Philippe; Grossard, Ludovic; Couderc, Vincent; Auguste, Jean-Louis; Blondy, Jean-Marc; Huss, Guillaume; Pioger, Paul-Henri

2005-09-19

Second harmonic generation in an air-silica microstructured optical fiber pumped by subnanosecond pulses is used in order to initiate modulation instability processes in normal and anomalous dispersion regimes. This allows us to generate an ultra wide and flat supercontinuum (350-1750 nm), covering the entire transparency window of silica and exhibiting a singlemode transverse profile in visible range.

Coherent fiber supercontinuum for biophotonics

PubMed Central

Tu, Haohua; Boppart, Stephen A.

2013-01-01

Biophotonics and nonlinear fiber optics have traditionally been two independent fields. Since the discovery of fiber-based supercontinuum generation in 1999, biophotonics applications employing incoherent light have experienced a large impact from nonlinear fiber optics, primarily because of the access to a wide range of wavelengths and a uniform spatial profile afforded by fiber supercontinuum. However, biophotonics applications employing coherent light have not benefited from the most well-known techniques of supercontinuum generation for reasons such as poor coherence (or high noise), insufficient controllability, and inadequate portability. Fortunately, a few key techniques involving nonlinear fiber optics and femtosecond laser development have emerged to overcome these critical limitations. Despite their relative independence, these techniques are the focus of this review, because they can be integrated into a low-cost portable biophotonics source platform. This platform can be shared across many different areas of research in biophotonics, enabling new applications such as point-of-care coherent optical biomedical imaging. PMID:24358056

High power, high efficiency, continuous-wave supercontinuum generation using standard telecom fibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arun, S.; Choudhury, Vishal; Balaswamy, V.; Prakash, Roopa; Supradeepa, V. R.

2018-04-01

We demonstrate a simple module for octave spanning continuous-wave supercontinuum generation using standard telecom fiber. This module can accept any high power Ytterbium-doped fiber laser as input. The input light is transferred into the anomalous dispersion region of the telecom fiber through a cascade of Raman shifts. A recently proposed Raman laser architecture with distributed feedback efficiently performs these Raman conversions. A spectrum spanning over 1000nm(>1 octave) from 880-1900nm is demonstrated. The average power from the supercontinuum is ~34W with a high conversion efficiency of 44%. Input wavelength agility is demonstrated with similar supercontinua over a wide input wavelength range.

Supercontinuum generation through DNA-filled hollow core fiber for broadband absorption spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Youngho; Park, Byeongho; Oh, Juyeong; Seo, Min Ah; Lee, Kwanil; Kim, Chulki; Lee, Taikjin; Woo, Deok Ha; Lee, Seok; Kim, Hyung Min; Lee, Hyuk Jae; Oh, Kyunghwan; Yeom, Dong-Il; Park, Sung Ha; Kim, Jae Hun

2015-07-01

In this study, we successfully generated the large bandwidth of supercontinuum spectra through hollow fibers filled with DNA. Also, by observing that spectra bandwidth was the widest in the order of the hollow core fiber filled with DNA modified by copper ion, the hollow core fiber with only DNA, and the bulk hollow core fiber, we demonstrated that DNA material modified with copper ions can further enhance the spectral bandwidth of supercontinuum. As a result, we anticipate that the SCG as a broadband light source can be used in analytical methods to demonstrate a wide range of biological and environmental questions.

Impact of optical and structural aging in As₂S₃ microstructured optical fibers on mid-infrared supercontinuum generation.

PubMed

Mouawad, O; Amrani, F; Kibler, B; Picot-Clémente, J; Strutynski, C; Fatome, J; Désévédavy, F; Gadret, G; Jules, J-C; Heintz, O; Lesniewska, E; Smektala, F

2014-10-06

We analyze optical and structural aging in As₂S₃ microstructured optical fibers (MOFs) that may have an impact on mid-infrared supercontinuum generation. A strong alteration of optical transparency at the fundamental OH absorption peak is measured for high-purity As₂S₃ MOF stored in atmospheric conditions. The surface evolution and inherent deviation of corresponding chemical composition confirm that the optical and chemical properties of MOFs degrade upon exposure to ambient conditions because of counteractive surface process. This phenomenon substantially reduces the optical quality of the MOFs and therefore restrains the spectral expansion of generated supercontinuum. This aging process is well confirmed by the good matching between previous experimental results and the reported numerical simulations based on the generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation.

Broadband upconversion imaging around 4 μm using an all-fiber supercontinuum source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huot, Laurent; Moselund, Peter M.; Leick, Lasse; Tidemand-Lichtenberg, Peter; Pedersen, Christian

2017-02-01

We present a novel mid-infrared imaging system born from the combination of an all-fiber mid-IR supercontinuum source developed at NKT with ultra-sensitive upconversion detection technology from DTU Fotonik. The source delivers 100 mW of average power and its spectrum extends up to 4.5 μm. The infrared signal is passed through a sample and then focused into a bulk AgGaS2 crystal and subsequently mixed with a synchronous mixing signal at 1550 nm extracted from the pump laser of the supercontinuum. Through sum frequency generation, an upconverted signal ranging from 1030 nm to 1155 nm is generated and acquired using an InGaAs camera.

High power, high efficiency, continuous-wave supercontinuum generation using standard telecom fibers.

PubMed

Arun, S; Choudhury, Vishal; Balaswamy, V; Prakash, Roopa; Supradeepa, V R

2018-04-02

We demonstrate a simple module for octave spanning continuous-wave supercontinuum generation using standard telecom fiber. This module can accept any high power ytterbium-doped fiber laser as input. The input light is transferred into the anomalous dispersion region of the telecom fiber through a cascade of Raman shifts. A recently proposed Raman laser architecture with distributed feedback efficiently performs these Raman conversions. A spectrum spanning over 1000nm (>1 octave) from 880 to 1900nm is demonstrated. The average power from the supercontinuum is ~34W with a high conversion efficiency of 44%. Input wavelength agility is demonstrated with similar supercontinua over a wide input wavelength range.

Spectrally tailored supercontinuum generation from single-mode-fiber amplifiers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hao, Qiang; Guo, Zhengru; Zhang, Qingshan

Spectral filtering of an all-normal-dispersion Yb-doped fiber laser was demonstrated effective for broadband supercontinuum generation in the picosecond time region. The picosecond pump pulses were tailored in spectrum with 1 nm band-pass filter installed between two single-mode fiber amplifiers. By tuning the spectral filter around 1028 nm, four-wave mixing was initiated in a photonic crystal fiber spliced with single-mode fiber, as manifested by the simultaneous generation of Stokes wave at 1076 nm and anti-Stokes wave at 984 nm. Four-wave mixing took place in cascade with the influence of stimulated Raman scattering and eventually extended the output spectrum more than 900 nm of 10 dB bandwidth.more » This technique allows smooth octave supercontinuum generation by using simple single-mode fiber amplifiers rather than complicated multistage large-mode-area fiber amplifiers.« less

Highly coherent tunable mid-infrared frequency comb pumped by supercontinuum at 1 µm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Lei; Yamanaka, Masahito; Sonnenschein, Volker; Tomita, Hideki; Iguchi, Tetsuo; Sato, Atsushi; Oh-hara, Toshinari; Nishizawa, Norihiko

2017-01-01

We report a tunable mid-infrared frequency comb working at 184 MHz, which is based on difference frequency generation in a periodically poled Mg-doped stoichiometric lithium tantalate (PPMgSLT) crystal pumped by high-power supercontinuum pulses. Supercontinuum pulses from two fibers with different dispersion properties were examined. With a photonic crystal fiber (PCF) having normal dispersion properties, a tunable wavelength range of 2.9-4.7 µm was achieved. With another PCF having zero dispersion at 1040 nm, a maximum power of 1.34 mW was observed at 3.9 µm. The high coherence of the pulses generated with this scheme was verified experimentally, and a fringe visibility of 0.90 was observed.

Direct comparison of shot-to-shot noise performance of all normal dispersion and anomalous dispersion supercontinuum pumped with sub-picosecond pulse fiber-based laser

PubMed Central

Klimczak, Mariusz; Soboń, Grzegorz; Kasztelanic, Rafał; Abramski, Krzysztof M.; Buczyński, Ryszard

2016-01-01

Coherence of supercontinuum sources is critical for applications involving characterization of ultrafast or rarely occurring phenomena. With the demonstrated spectral coverage of supercontinuum extending from near-infrared to over 10 μm in a single nonlinear fiber, there has been a clear push for the bandwidth rather than for attempting to optimize the dynamic properties of the generated spectrum. In this work we provide an experimental assessment of the shot-to-shot noise performance of supercontinuum generation in two types of soft glass photonic crystal fibers. Phase coherence and intensity fluctuations are compared for the cases of an anomalous dispersion-pumped fiber and an all-normal dispersion fiber. With the use of the dispersive Fourier transformation method, we demonstrate that a factor of 100 improvement in signal-to-noise ratio is achieved in the normal-dispersion over anomalous dispersion-pumped fiber for 390 fs long pump pulses. A double-clad design of the photonic lattice of the fiber is further postulated to enable a pump-related seeding mechanism of normal-dispersion supercontinuum broadening under sub-picosecond pumping, which is otherwise known for similar noise characteristics as modulation instability driven, soliton-based spectra. PMID:26759188

A spatio-spectral polarization analysis of 1 µm-pumped bulk supercontinuum in a cubic crystal (YAG)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choudhuri, Aradhana; Chatterjee, Gourab; Zheng, Jiaan; Hartl, Ingmar; Ruehl, Axel; Dwayne Miller, R. J.

2018-06-01

We present the first systematic study of the spatio-spectral polarization properties of a supercontinuum generated in a cubic crystal, yttrium-aluminum garnet (YAG), including a full spectral analysis of the white light core and surrounding ring structure. We observe no depolarization of the supercontinuum, and no spatial dependence of polarization ratios for any wavelength. We discuss the discrepancy of YAG's polarization behavior in the context of well-established results in literature reporting self-induced depolarization in other cubic crystals.

1.9 octave supercontinuum generation in a As₂S₃ step-index fiber driven by mid-IR OPCPA.

PubMed

Hudson, Darren D; Baudisch, Matthias; Werdehausen, Daniel; Eggleton, Benjamin J; Biegert, Jens

2014-10-01

Using a 3.1-μm optical parametric chirped-pulse amplifier (OPCPA), we generate a supercontinuum in a step-index chalcogenide fiber that spans from 1.6 to 5.9 μm at the -20  dB points. The rugged step-index geometry allows for long-term operation, while the spectral bandwidth is limited by the transmission of the As2S3 fiber.

Photonic crystal fiber-generated coherent supercontinuum for fast stain-free histopathology and intraoperative multiphoton imaging (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tu, Haohua; You, Sixian; Sun, Yi; Spillman, Darold R.; Ray, Partha S.; Liu, George; Boppart, Stephen A.

2017-03-01

In contrast to a broadband Ti:sapphire laser that mode locks a continuum of emission and enables broadband biophotonic applications, supercontinuum generation moves the spectral broadening outside the laser cavity into a nonlinear medium, and may thus improve environmental stability and more readily enable clinical translation. Using a photonic crystal fiber for passive spectral broadening, this technique becomes widely accessible from a narrowband fixed-wavelength mode-locked laser. Currently, fiber supercontinuum sources have benefited single-photon biological imaging modalities, including light-sheet or confocal microscopy, diffuse optical tomography, and retinal optical coherence tomography. However, they have not fully benefited multiphoton biological imaging modalities with proven capability for high-resolution label-free molecular imaging. The reason can be attributed to the amplitude/phase noise of fiber supercontinuum, which is amplified from the intrinsic noise of the input laser and responsible for spectral decoherence. This instability deteriorates the performance of multiphoton imaging modalities more than that of single-photon imaging modalities. Building upon a framework of coherent fiber supercontinuum generation, we have avoided this instability or decoherence, and balanced the often conflicting needs to generate strong signal, prevent sample photodamage, minimize background noise, accelerate imaging speed, improve imaging depth, accommodate different modalities, and provide user-friendly operation. Our prototypical platforms have enabled fast stain-free histopathology of fresh tissue in both laboratory and intraoperative settings to discover a wide variety of imaging-based cancer biomarkers, which may reduce the cost and waiting stress associated with disease/cancer diagnosis. A clear path toward intraoperative multiphoton imaging can be envisioned to help pathologists and surgeons improve cancer surgery.

Octave-spanning mid-infrared pulses by plasma generation in air pumped with an Yb:KGW source

PubMed Central

Huang, Jinqing; Parobek, Alexander; Ganim, Ziad

2016-01-01

Femtosecond mid-infrared (IR) supercontinuum generation in gas media provides a broadband source suited for time-domain spectroscopies and microscopies. This technology has largely utilized <100 fs Ti:sapphire pump lasers. In this Letter, we describe the first plasma generation mid-IR source based on a 1030 nm, 171 fs Yb:KGW laser system; when its first three harmonics are focused in air, a conical mode supercontinuum is generated that spans <1000 to 2700 cm−1 with a 190 pJ pulse energy and 0.5% RMS stability. PMID:27805634

Spectrally-broad coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering hyper-microscopy utilizing a Stokes supercontinuum pumped at 800 nm

PubMed Central

Porquez, Jeremy G.; Cole, Ryan A.; Tabarangao, Joel T.; Slepkov, Aaron D.

2016-01-01

We demonstrate spectral-focusing based coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (SF-CARS) hyper-microscopy capable of probing vibrational frequencies from 630 cm−1 to 3250 cm−1 using a single Ti:Sapphire femtosecond laser operating at 800 nm, and a commercially-available supercontinuum-generating fibre module. A broad Stokes supercontinuum with significant spectral power at wavelengths between 800 nm and 940 nm is generated by power tuning the fibre module using atypically long and/or chirped ~200 fs pump pulses, allowing convenient access to lower vibrational frequencies in the fingerprint spectral region. This work significantly reduces the instrumental and technical requirements for multimodal CARS microscopy, while expanding the spectral capabilities of an established approach to SF-CARS. PMID:27867735

Suppression of white light generation (supercontinuum) in biological media: a pilot study using human salivary proteins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santhosh, C.; Dharmadhikari, A. K.; Alti, K.; Dharmadhikari, J. A.; Mathur, D.

2007-02-01

Propagation of ultrashort pulses of intense, infrared light through transparent medium gives rise to a visually spectacular phenomenon known as supercontinuum (white light) generation wherein the spectrum of transmitted light is very considerably broader than that of the incident light. We have studied the propagation of ultrafast (<45 fs) pulses of intense infrared light through biological media (water, and water doped with salivary proteins) which reveal that white light generation is severely suppressed in the presence of a major salivary protein, α-amylase.

Extension of harmonic cutoff in a multicycle chirped pulse combined with a chirp-free pulse

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xu Junjie; Zeng Bin; Yu Yongli

2010-11-15

We demonstrate high-order harmonic generation in a wave form synthesized by a multicycle 800-nm chirped laser pulse and a chirp-free laser pulse. Compared with the case of using only a chirped pulse, both the harmonic cutoff and the extreme ultraviolet supercontinuum can be extended when a weak chirp-free pulse is combined with the chirped pulse. When chirp-free pulse intensity grows, the cutoff energy and bandwidth of the supercontinuum grow as well. It is found that the broad supercontinuum can be achieved for a driving pulse with long duration even though the driving pulse reaches 10 optical cycles. An isolated attosecondmore » pulse with duration of about 59 as is obtained, and after appropriate phase compensation with a duration of about 11 as. In addition, by performing time-frequency analyses and the classical trajectory simulation, the difference in supercontinuum generation between the preceding wave form and a similar wave form synthesized by an 800-nm fundamental pulse and a 1600-nm subharmonic pulse is investigated.« less

White Light Generation in Human Saliva

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santhosh, C.; Dharmadhikari, A. K.; Dharmadhikari, J. A.; Alti, K.; Mathur, D.

2011-07-01

Interaction of intense, femto-second pulses of infrared light (800 nm) with water generates white light supercontinuum due to nonlinear optical effects. This supercontinuum was found to be suppressed by the addition of alpha amylase, a major protein in the human saliva. We have studied the suppression of supper continuum by human saliva, collected from healthy subjects with and without smoking habits. Suppression of the blue-sided components was observed significantly in non-smokers saliva than chain smokers.

Octave-spanning supercontinuum generation in in situ tapered As₂S₃ fiber pumped by a thulium-doped fiber laser.

PubMed

Rudy, Charles W; Marandi, Alireza; Vodopyanov, Konstantin L; Byer, Robert L

2013-08-01

We report a supercontinuum spanning well over an octave of measurable bandwidth from about 1 to 3.7 μm in a 2.1 mm long As₂S₃ fiber taper using the in situ tapering method. A sub-100-fs mode-locked thulium-doped fiber laser system with ~300 pJ of pulse energy was used as the pump source. Third-harmonic generation was observed and currently limits the pump pulse energy and achievable spectral bandwidth.

Towards mid-infrared supercontinuum generation: Ge-Sb-Se mid-infrared step-index small-core optical fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butterworth, J. H.; Jayasuriya, D.; Li, Q. Q.; Furniss, D.; Moneim, N. A.; Barney, E.; Sujecki, S.; Benson, T. M.; Sanghera, J. S.; Seddon, A. B.

2014-02-01

In the 21st century, cancer has become a common and feared illness. Early detection is crucial for delivering the most effective treatment of patients, yet current diagnostic tests depend upon the skill of a consultant clinician and histologist for recognition of the cancerous cells. Therefore it is necessary to develop a medical diagnostic system which can analyze and image tissue instantly, removing the margin of human error and with the additional benefit of being minimally invasive. The molecular fingerprint of biological tissue lies within the mid-infrared (IR) region of the electromagnetic spectrum, 3-25μm wavelength. This can be used to determine a tissue spectral map and provide information about the absence or existence of disease, potentially in real-time and in vivo. However, current mid-IR broadband sources are not bright enough to achieve this. One alternative is to develop broadband, mid-IR, supercontinuum generation (SCG). Chalcogenide glass optical fibers have the potential to provide such mid-IR SC light. A popular chalcogenide glass fiber type is based on Ge-As-Se. For biomedical applications it is prudent to avoid the use of arsenic, on account of its toxicity. This paper investigates replacing arsenic with antimony, towards Ge-Sb-Se smallcore optical fibers for SCG. Physical properties of candidate glass pairs are investigated for glass stability via differential thermal analysis etc. and fiber optical loss measurements of associated fibers are assessed. These results are compared to analogous arsenic-containing chalcogenide glasses and optical fibers, and conclusions are drawn focusing on whether there is potential for antimony chalcogenide glass to be used for SCG for mid-infrared medical diagnostics.

The contribution of reorientational nonlinearity of CS2 liquid in supercontinuum generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Porsezian, K.; Raja, R. Vasantha Jayakantha; Husakou, Anton; Hermann, Joachim

2011-08-01

We aim to study the nonlinear optical phenomena with femtosecond pulse propagation in liquid-core photonic crystal fibers filled with CS2. In particular, we intend to study the effect of slow nonlinearity due to reorientational contribution of liquid molecules on broadband supercontinuum generation in the femtosecond regime using appropriately modified nonlinear Schrödinger equation. We show that the response of the slow nonlinearity enhances broadening of the pulse and changes the dynamics of the generated solitons. To analyse the quality of the pulse, the stability analysis and coherence of the SCG are studied numerically.

Effect of pulse width on near-infrared supercontinuum generation in nonlinear fiber amplifier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Rui; Lei, Cheng-Min; Chen, Sheng-Ping; Wang, Ze-Feng; Hou, Jing

2015-08-01

The effect of pulse width on near-infrared supercontinuum generation in nonlinear fiber amplifier is investigated theoretically and experimentally. The complex Ginzburg-Landau equation and adaptive split-step Fourier method are used to simulate the propagation of pulses with different pulse widths in the fiber amplifier, and the results show that a longer pulse is more profitable in near-infrared supercontinuum generation if the central wavelength of the input laser lies in the normal dispersion region of the gain fiber. A four-stage master oscillator power amplifier configuration is adopted and the output spectra under picosecond and nanosecond input pulses are compared with each other. The experimental results are in good accordance with the simulations which can provide some guidance for further optimization of the system. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11404404 and 11274385) and the Outstanding Youth Fund Project of Hunan Province and the Fund of Innovation of National University of Defense Technology, China (Grant No. B120701).

Mid-IR supercontinuum generation in ultra-low loss, dispersion-zero shifted tellurite glass fiber with extended coverage beyond 4.5 μm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thapa, Rajesh; Rhonehouse, Dan; Nguyen, Dan; Wiersma, Kort; Smith, Chris; Zong, Jie; Chavez-Pirson, Arturo

2013-10-01

Mid-infrared sources are a key enabling technology for various applications such as remote chemical sensing, defense communications and countermeasures, and bio-photonic diagnostics and therapeutics. Conventional mid-IR sources include optical parametric amplifiers, quantum cascade lasers, synchrotron and free electron lasers. An all-fiber approach to generate a high power, single mode beam with extremely wide (1μm-5μm) and simultaneous wavelength coverage has significant advantages in terms of reliability (no moving parts or alignment), room temperature operation, size, weight, and power efficiency. Here, we report single mode, high power extended wavelength coverage (1μm to 5μm) supercontinuum generation using a tellurite-based dispersion managed nonlinear fiber and an all-fiber based short pulse (20 ps), single mode pump source. We have developed this mid IR supercontinuum source based on highly purified solid-core tellurite glass fibers that are waveguide engineered for dispersion-zero matching with Tm-doped pulsed fiber laser pumps. The conversion efficiency from 1922nm pump to mid IR (2μm-5μm) supercontinuum is greater than 30%, and approaching 60% for the full spectrum. We have achieved > 1.2W covering from 1μm to 5μm with 2W of pump. In particular, the wavelength region above 4μm has been difficult to cover with supercontinuum sources based on ZBLAN or chalcogenide fibers. In contrast to that, our nonlinear tellurite fibers have a wider transparency window free of unwanted absorption, and are highly suited for extending the long wavelength emission above 4μm. We achieve spectral power density at 4.1μm already exceeding 0.2mW/nm and with potential for higher by scaling of pump power.

Odd harmonics-enhanced supercontinuum in bulk solid-state dielectric medium.

PubMed

Garejev, N; Jukna, V; Tamošauskas, G; Veličkė, M; Šuminas, R; Couairon, A; Dubietis, A

2016-07-25

We report on generation of ultrabroadband, more than 4 octave spanning supercontinuum in thin CaF₂ crystal, as pumped by intense mid-infrared laser pulses with central wavelength of 2.4 μm. The supercontinuum spectrum covers wavelength range from the ultraviolet to the mid-infrared and its short wavelength side is strongly enhanced by cascaded generation of third, fifth and seventh harmonics. Our results capture the transition from Kerr-dominated to plasma-dominated filamentation regime and uncover that in the latter the spectral superbroadening originates from dramatic plasma-induced compression of the driving pulse, which in turn induces broadening of the harmonics spectra due to cross-phase modulation effects. The experimental measurements are backed up by the numerical simulations based on a nonparaxial unidirectional propagation equation for the electric field of the pulse, which accounts for the cubic nonlinearity-induced effects, and which reproduce the experimental data in great detail.

Mid-IR super-continuum generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Islam, Mohammed N.; Xia, Chenan; Freeman, Mike J.; Mauricio, Jeremiah; Zakel, Andy; Ke, Kevin; Xu, Zhao; Terry, Fred L., Jr.

2009-02-01

A Mid-InfraRed FIber Laser (MIRFIL) has been developed that generates super-continuum covering the spectral range from 0.8 to 4.5 microns with a time-averaged power as high as 10.5W. The MIRFIL is an all-fiber integrated laser with no moving parts and no mode-locked lasers that uses commercial off-the-shelf parts and leverages the mature telecom/fiber optics platform. The MIRFIL power can be easily scaled by changing the repetition rate and modifying the erbium-doped fiber amplifier. Some of the applications using the super-continuum laser will be described in defense, homeland security and healthcare. For example, the MIRFIL is being applied to a catheter-based medical diagnostic system to detect vulnerable plaque, which is responsible for most heart attacks resulting from hardening-of-the-arteries or atherosclerosis. More generally, the MIRFIL can be a platform for selective ablation of lipids without damaging normal protein or smooth muscle tissue.

Spectral stability of supercontinuum generation in condensed mediums

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jier; Zhang, Yizhu; Shen, Huifeng; Jiang, Yuhai; Wang, Zhongyang

2017-07-01

The features of the supercontinuum generation (SCG) using intense femtosecond pulses are systematically investigated in condensed mediums [sapphire, BK7 glass, ultraviolet (UV)-fused silica, and fluoride crystals]. By optimizing the experimental conditions and choosing suitable mediums, the bandwidth of the SCG can be extended to the UV regime with good spectral stability. This study demonstrates that materials with high bandgap present high efficiency for SCG, particularly in the short wavelength region. The achievable short wavelength and low power-density threshold of the SCG exhibit complicated correlations with the bandgap of condensed mediums.

Quasi-supercontinuum source in the extreme ultraviolet using multiple frequency combs from high-harmonic generation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wünsche, Martin; Fuchs, Silvio; Aull, Stefan

A quasi-supercontinuum source in the extreme ultraviolet (XUV) is demonstrated using a table-top femtosecond laser and a tunable optical parametric amplifier (OPA) as a driver for high-harmonic generation (HHG). The harmonic radiation, which is usually a comb of odd multiples of the fundamental frequency, is generated by near-infrared (NIR) laser pulses from the OPA. A quasi-continuous XUV spectrum in the range of 30 to 100 eV is realized by averaging over multiple harmonic comb spectra with slightly different fundamental frequencies and thus different spectral spacing between the individual harmonics. The driving laser wavelength is swept automatically during an averaging timemore » period. With a total photon flux of 4×10 9 photons/s in the range of 30 eV to 100 eV and 1×10 7 photons/s in the range of 100 eV to 200 eV, the resulting quasi-supercontinuum XUV source is suited for applications such as XUV coherence tomography (XCT) or near-edge absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS).« less

Quasi-supercontinuum source in the extreme ultraviolet using multiple frequency combs from high-harmonic generation

DOE PAGES

Wünsche, Martin; Fuchs, Silvio; Aull, Stefan; ...

2017-03-16

A quasi-supercontinuum source in the extreme ultraviolet (XUV) is demonstrated using a table-top femtosecond laser and a tunable optical parametric amplifier (OPA) as a driver for high-harmonic generation (HHG). The harmonic radiation, which is usually a comb of odd multiples of the fundamental frequency, is generated by near-infrared (NIR) laser pulses from the OPA. A quasi-continuous XUV spectrum in the range of 30 to 100 eV is realized by averaging over multiple harmonic comb spectra with slightly different fundamental frequencies and thus different spectral spacing between the individual harmonics. The driving laser wavelength is swept automatically during an averaging timemore » period. With a total photon flux of 4×10 9 photons/s in the range of 30 eV to 100 eV and 1×10 7 photons/s in the range of 100 eV to 200 eV, the resulting quasi-supercontinuum XUV source is suited for applications such as XUV coherence tomography (XCT) or near-edge absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS).« less

Spectral characterization of a supercontinuum source based on nonlinear broadening in an aqueous K_2ZnCl_4 salt solution

DOE PAGES

Robinson, Timothy S.; Patankar, Siddharth; Floyd, Emma; ...

2017-01-01

We report on investigations concerning the shot-to-shot spectral stability properties of a supercontinuum source based on nonlinear processes such as self-phase modulation and optical wave-breaking in a highly concentrated K 2ZnCl 4 double salt solution. The use of a liquid medium offers both damage resistance and high third-order optical nonlinearity. Approximately 40 μJ pulses spanning a spectral range between 390 and 960 nm were produced with 3.8% RMS energy stability, using infrared input pulses of 500±50 fs FWHM durations and 2.42±0.04 mJ energies with an RMS stability of 2%. The spectral stability was quantified via acquiring single-shot spectra and studyingmore » shot-to-shot variation across a spectral range of 200–1100 nm, as well as by considering spectral correlations. The regional spectral correlation variations were indicative of nonlinear processes leading to sideband generation. Spectral stability and efficiency of energy transfer into the supercontinuum were found to weakly improve with increasing driver pulse energy, suggesting that the nonlinear broadening processes are more stable when driven more strongly, or that self-guiding effects in a filament help to stabilize the supercontinuum generation.« less

Wide-band fanned-out supercontinuum source covering O-, E-, S-, C-, L- and U-bands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad, H.; Latif, A. A.; Awang, N. A.; Zulkifli, M. Z.; Thambiratnam, K.; Ghani, Z. A.; Harun, S. W.

2012-10-01

A wide-band supercontinuum source generated by mode-locked pulses injected into a Highly Non-Linear Fiber (HNLF) is proposed and demonstrated. A 49 cm long Bismuth-Erbium Doped Fiber (Bi-EDF) pumped by two 1480 nm laser diodes acts as the active gain medium for a ring fiber laser, from which mode-locked pulses are obtained using the Non-Polarization Rotation (NPR) technique. The mode-locked pulses are then injected into a 100 m long HLNF with a dispersion of 0.15 ps/nm km at 1550 nm to generate a supercontinuum spectrum spanning from 1340 nm to more than 1680 nm with a pulse width of 0.08 ps and an average power of -17 dBm. The supercontinuum spectrum is sliced using a 24 channel Arrayed Waveguide Grating (AWG) with a channel spacing of 100 GHz to obtain a fanned-out laser output covering the O-, E-, S-, C-, L- and U-bands. The lasing wavelengths obtained have an average pulse width of 9 ps with only minor fluctuations and a mode-locked repetition rate of 40 MHz, and is sufficiently stable to be used in a variety of sensing and communication applications, most notably as cost-effective sources for Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) networks.

Spectral characterization of a supercontinuum source based on nonlinear broadening in an aqueous K_2ZnCl_4 salt solution

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Robinson, Timothy S.; Patankar, Siddharth; Floyd, Emma

We report on investigations concerning the shot-to-shot spectral stability properties of a supercontinuum source based on nonlinear processes such as self-phase modulation and optical wave-breaking in a highly concentrated K 2ZnCl 4 double salt solution. The use of a liquid medium offers both damage resistance and high third-order optical nonlinearity. Approximately 40 μJ pulses spanning a spectral range between 390 and 960 nm were produced with 3.8% RMS energy stability, using infrared input pulses of 500±50 fs FWHM durations and 2.42±0.04 mJ energies with an RMS stability of 2%. The spectral stability was quantified via acquiring single-shot spectra and studyingmore » shot-to-shot variation across a spectral range of 200–1100 nm, as well as by considering spectral correlations. The regional spectral correlation variations were indicative of nonlinear processes leading to sideband generation. Spectral stability and efficiency of energy transfer into the supercontinuum were found to weakly improve with increasing driver pulse energy, suggesting that the nonlinear broadening processes are more stable when driven more strongly, or that self-guiding effects in a filament help to stabilize the supercontinuum generation.« less

Myocardial imaging using ultrahigh-resolution spectral domain optical coherence tomography

PubMed Central

Yao, Xinwen; Gan, Yu; Marboe, Charles C.; Hendon, Christine P.

2016-01-01

Abstract. We present an ultrahigh-resolution spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) system in 800 nm with a low-noise supercontinuum source (SC) optimized for myocardial imaging. The system was demonstrated to have an axial resolution of 2.72  μm with a large imaging depth of 1.78 mm and a 6-dB falloff range of 0.89 mm. The lateral resolution (5.52  μm) was compromised to enhance the image penetration required for myocardial imaging. The noise of the SC source was analyzed extensively and an imaging protocol was proposed for SC-based OCT imaging with appreciable contrast. Three-dimensional datasets were acquired ex vivo on the endocardium side of tissue specimens from different chambers of fresh human and swine hearts. With the increased resolution and contrast, features such as elastic fibers, Purkinje fibers, and collagen fiber bundles were observed. The correlation between the structural information revealed in the OCT images and tissue pathology was discussed as well. PMID:27001162

Myocardial imaging using ultrahigh-resolution spectral domain optical coherence tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Xinwen; Gan, Yu; Marboe, Charles C.; Hendon, Christine P.

2016-06-01

We present an ultrahigh-resolution spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) system in 800 nm with a low-noise supercontinuum source (SC) optimized for myocardial imaging. The system was demonstrated to have an axial resolution of 2.72 μm with a large imaging depth of 1.78 mm and a 6-dB falloff range of 0.89 mm. The lateral resolution (5.52 μm) was compromised to enhance the image penetration required for myocardial imaging. The noise of the SC source was analyzed extensively and an imaging protocol was proposed for SC-based OCT imaging with appreciable contrast. Three-dimensional datasets were acquired ex vivo on the endocardium side of tissue specimens from different chambers of fresh human and swine hearts. With the increased resolution and contrast, features such as elastic fibers, Purkinje fibers, and collagen fiber bundles were observed. The correlation between the structural information revealed in the OCT images and tissue pathology was discussed as well.

Mid-infrared (MIR) photonics: MIR passive and active fiberoptics chemical and biomedical, sensing and imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seddon, Angela B.

2016-10-01

The case for new, portable, real-time mid-infrared (MIR) molecular sensing and imaging is discussed. We set a record in demonstrating extreme broad-band supercontinuum (SC) generated light 1.4-13.3 μm in a specially engineered, step-index MIR optical fiber of high numerical aperture. This was the first experimental demonstration truly to reveal the potential of MIR fibers to emit across the MIR molecular "fingerprint spectral region" and a key first step towards bright, portable, broadband MIR sources for chemical and biomedical, molecular sensing and imaging in real-time. Potential applications are in the healthcare, security, energy, environmental monitoring, chemical-processing, manufacturing and the agriculture sectors. MIR narrow-line fiber lasers are now required to pump the fiber MIR-SC for a compact all-fiber solution. Rare-earth-ion (RE-) doped MIR fiber lasers are not yet demonstrated >=4 μm wavelength. We have fabricated small-core RE-fiber with photoluminescence across 3.5-6 μm, and long excited-state lifetimes. MIR-RE-fiber lasers are also applicable as discrete MIR fiber sensors in their own right, for applications including: ship-to-ship free-space communications, aircraft counter-measures, coherent MIR imaging, MIR-optical coherent tomography, laser-cutting/ patterning of soft materials and new wavelengths for fiber laser medical surgery.

White light supercontinuum generation in a Y-shaped microstructured tapered fiber pumped at 1064 nm.

PubMed

Cascante-Vindas, J; Díez, A; Cruz, J L; Andrés, M V

2010-07-05

We report the generation of supercontinuum in a Ge-doped Y-shape tapered fiber pumped at 1064 nm in the ns pump regime. The taper was designed to have long taper transitions and a taper waist with a core diameter of 0.9 mum. The large air-filling fraction and diameter of the air-hole microstructure reduces the confinement loss at long wavelengths so, enabling the extension of the spectrum to longer wavelengths. Along the taper transition the zero-dispersion wavelength decreases as the diameter of the taper becomes smaller. The spectral components generated along the taper transition pump the taper waist, enhancing the generation of short wavelengths. A flat spectrum spanning from 420 nm to 1850 nm is reported.

Power scaling of supercontinuum seeded megahertz-repetition rate optical parametric chirped pulse amplifiers.

PubMed

Riedel, R; Stephanides, A; Prandolini, M J; Gronloh, B; Jungbluth, B; Mans, T; Tavella, F

2014-03-15

Optical parametric chirped-pulse amplifiers with high average power are possible with novel high-power Yb:YAG amplifiers with kW-level output powers. We demonstrate a compact wavelength-tunable sub-30-fs amplifier with 11.4 W average power with 20.7% pump-to-signal conversion efficiency. For parametric amplification, a beta-barium borate crystal is pumped by a 140 W, 1 ps Yb:YAG InnoSlab amplifier at 3.25 MHz repetition rate. The broadband seed is generated via supercontinuum generation in a YAG crystal.

Cavity Enhanced Absorption Spectroscopy Using a Broadband Prism Cavity and a Supercontinuum Source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnston, Paul S.; Lehmann, Kevin K.

2009-06-01

The multiplex advantage of current cavity enhanced spectrometers is limited by the high reflectivity bandwidth of the mirrors used to construct the high finesse cavity. Previously, we reported the design and construction of a new spectrometer that circumvents this limitation by utilizing Brewster^{,}s angle prism retroreflectors. The prisms, made from fused silica and combined with a supercontinuum source generated by pumping a highly nonlinear photonic crystal fiber, yields a spectral window ranging from 500 nm to 1750 nm. Recent progress in the instruments development will be discussed, including work on modeling the prism cavity losses, alternative prism material for use in the UV and mid-IR spectral regions, and a new high power supercontinuum source based on mode-locked picosecond laser.

Tellurite microstructure fibers with small hexagonal core for supercontinuum generation.

PubMed

Liao, Meisong; Chaudhari, Chitrarekha; Qin, Guanshi; Yan, Xin; Suzuki, Takenobu; Ohishi, Yasutake

2009-07-06

Tellurite glass microstructure fibers with a 1 microm hexagonal core were fabricated successfully by accurately controlling the temperature field in the fiber-drawing process. The diameter ratio of holey region to core (DRHC) for the fiber can be adjusted freely in the range of 1-20 by pumping a positive pressure into the holes when drawing fiber, which provides much freedom in engineering the chromatic dispersion. With the increase of DRHC from 3.5 to 20, the zero dispersion wavelengths were shifted several hundred nanometers, the cutoff wavelength due to confinement loss was increased from 1600 nm to 3800 nm, and the nonlinear coefficient gamma was increased from 3.9 to 5.7 W(-1)/m. Efficient visible emissions due to third harmonic generation were found for fibers with a DRHC of 10 and 20 under the 1557 nm pump of a femtosecond fiber laser. One octave flattened supercontinuum spectrum was generated from fibers with a DRHC of 3.5, 10 and 20 by the 1064 nm pump of a picosecond fiber laser. To the best of our knowledge, we have for the first time fabricated a hexagonal core fiber by soft glass with such a small core size, and have demonstrated a large influence of the holey region on the dispersion, nonlinear coefficient and supercontinuum generation for such fiber.

Silicon waveguide with four zero-dispersion wavelengths and its application in on-chip octave-spanning supercontinuum generation.

PubMed

Zhang, Lin; Lin, Qiang; Yue, Yang; Yan, Yan; Beausoleil, Raymond G; Willner, Alan E

2012-01-16

We propose a novel silicon waveguide that exhibits four zero-dispersion wavelengths for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, with a flattened dispersion over a 670-nm bandwidth. This holds a great potential for exploration of new nonlinear effects and achievement of ultra-broadband signal processing on a silicon chip. As an example, we show that an octave-spanning supercontinuum assisted by dispersive wave generation can be obtained in silicon, over a wavelength range from 1217 to 2451 nm, almost from bandgap wavelength to half-bandgap wavelength. Input pulse is greatly compressed to 10 fs.

Chirp of the single attosecond pulse generated by a polarization gating

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chang Zenghu

2005-02-01

The chirp of the xuv supercontinuum generated by a polarization gating is investigated by comparing three-dimensional nonadiabatic numerical simulations with classical calculations. The origin of the chirp is the dependence of the energy gain by an electron on the return time. The chirp is positive and its value is almost the same as that when a linearly polarized laser is used. Although the 250-eV-wide supercontinuum corresponds to a single attosecond pulse, the shortest duration of the pulse is limited by the chirp. By compensating the positive chirp with the negative group velocity dispersion of a Sn filter, it is predictedmore » that a single 58-as pulse can be generated.« less

Few-cycle solitons and supercontinuum generation with cascaded quadratic nonlinearities in unpoled lithium niobate ridge waveguides.

PubMed

Guo, Hairun; Zeng, Xianglong; Zhou, Binbin; Bache, Morten

2014-03-01

Formation and interaction of few-cycle solitons in a lithium niobate ridge waveguide are numerically investigated. The solitons are created through a cascaded phase-mismatched second-harmonic generation process, which induces a dominant self-defocusing Kerr-like nonlinearity on the pump pulse. The inherent material self-focusing Kerr nonlinearity is overcome over a wide wavelength range, and self-defocusing solitons are supported from 1100 to 1900 nm, covering the whole communication band. Single cycle self-compressed solitons and supercontinuum generation spanning 1.3 octaves are observed when pumped with femtosecond nanojoule pulses at 1550 nm. The waveguide is not periodically poled, as quasi-phase-matching would lead to detrimental nonlinear effects impeding few-cycle soliton formation.

Ultrashort polarization-tailored bichromatic fields from a CEP-stable white light supercontinuum.

PubMed

Kerbstadt, Stefanie; Timmer, Daniel; Englert, Lars; Bayer, Tim; Wollenhaupt, Matthias

2017-05-29

We apply ultrafast polarization shaping to an ultrabroadband carrier envelope phase (CEP) stable white light supercontinuum to generate polarization-tailored bichromatic laser fields of low-order frequency ratio. The generation of orthogonal linearly and counter-rotating circularly polarized bichromatic fields is achieved by introducing a composite polarizer in the Fourier plane of a 4 f polarization shaper. The resulting Lissajous- and propeller-type polarization profiles are characterized experimentally by cross-correlation trajectories. The scheme provides full control over all bichromatic parameters and allows for individual spectral phase modulation of both colors. Shaper-based CEP control and the generation of tailored bichromatic fields is demonstrated. These bichromatic CEP-stable polarization-shaped ultrashort laser pulses provide a versatile class of waveforms for coherent control experiments.

Mid-infrared fiber-coupled supercontinuum spectroscopic imaging using a tapered chalcogenide photonic crystal fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenberg Petersen, Christian; Prtljaga, Nikola; Farries, Mark; Ward, Jon; Napier, Bruce; Lloyd, Gavin Rhys; Nallala, Jayakrupakar; Stone, Nick; Bang, Ole

2018-02-01

We present the first demonstration of mid-infrared spectroscopic imaging of human tissue using a fiber-coupled supercontinuum source spanning from 2-7.5 μm. The supercontinuum was generated in a tapered large mode area chalcogenide photonic crystal fiber in order to obtain broad bandwidth, high average power, and single-mode output for good imaging properties. Tissue imaging was demonstrated in transmission by raster scanning over a sub-mm region of paraffinized colon tissue on CaF2 substrate, and the signal was measured using a fiber-coupled grating spectrometer. This demonstration has shown that we can distinguish between epithelial and surrounding connective tissues within a paraffinized section of colon tissue by imaging at discrete wavelengths related to distinct chemical absorption features.

LASER APPLICATIONS AND OTHER TOPICS IN QUANTUM ELECTRONICS: Generation of terahertz radiation upon filtration of a supercontinuum produced during the propagation of a femtosecond laser pulse in a GaAs crystal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vardanyan, Aleksandr O.; Oganesyan, David L.

2008-11-01

The results of a theoretical study of the formation of a supercontinuum produced due to the interaction of femtosecond laser pulses with an isotropic nonlinear medium are presented. The system of nonlinear Maxwell's equations was numerically integrated in time by the finite-difference method. The interaction of mutually orthogonal linearly-polarised 1.98-μm, 30-fs, 30-nJ pulses propagating along the normal to the 110 plane in a 1-mm-long GaAs crystal was considered. In the nonlinear part of the polarisation medium, the inertialless second-order nonlinear susceptibility was taken into account. The formation process of a terahertz pulse obtained due to the supercontinuum filtration was studied.

Narrowband supercontinuum control using phase shaping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Austin, Dane R.; Bolger, Jeremy A.; de Sterke, C. Martijn; Eggleton, Benjamin J.; Brown, Thomas G.

2006-12-01

We study theoretically, numerically and experimentally the effect of self-phase modulation of ultrashort pulses with spectrally narrow phase features. We show that spectral enhancement and depletion is caused by changing the relative phase between the initial field and the nonlinearly generated components. Our theoretical results explain observations of supercontinuum enhancement by fiber Bragg gratings, and predict similar enhancements for spectrally shaped pulses in uniform fiber. As proof of principle, we demonstrate this effect in the laboratory using a femtosecond pulse shaper.

Highly-nonlinear polarization-maintaining As2Se3-based photonic quasi-crystal fiber for supercontinuum generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Tongtong; Lian, Zhenggang; Benson, Trevor; Wang, Xin; Zhang, Wan; Lou, Shuqin

2017-11-01

We propose an As2Se3-based photonic quasi-crystal fiber (PQF) with high nonlinearity and birefringence. By optimizing the structure parameters, a nonlinear coefficient up to 2079 W-1km-1 can be achieved at the wavelength of 2 μm; the birefringence reaches up to the order of 10-2 due to the introduction of large circular air holes in the cladding. Using an optical pulse with a peak power of 6 kW, a pulse width of 150 fs, and a central wavelength of 2.94 μm as the pump pulse, a mid-infrared polarized supercontinuum is obtained by using a 15 mm long PQF. The spectral width for x- and y-polarizations covers 1 μm-10.2 μm and 1 μm-12.5 μm, respectively. The polarization state can be well maintained when the incident angle of the input pulse changes within ±2°. The proposed PQF, with high nonlinear coefficient and birefringence, has potential applications in mid-infrared polarization-maintaining supercontinuum generation.

Two-octave spanning supercontinuum generation in stoichiometric silicon nitride waveguides pumped at telecom wavelengths.

PubMed

Porcel, Marco A G; Schepers, Florian; Epping, Jörn P; Hellwig, Tim; Hoekman, Marcel; Heideman, René G; van der Slot, Peter J M; Lee, Chris J; Schmidt, Robert; Bratschitsch, Rudolf; Fallnich, Carsten; Boller, Klaus-J

2017-01-23

We demonstrate supercontinuum generation in stoichiometric silicon nitride (Si₃N₄ in SiO₂) integrated optical waveguides, pumped at telecommunication wavelengths. The pump laser is a mode-locked erbium fiber laser at a wavelength of 1.56 µm with a pulse duration of 120 fs. With a waveguide-internal pulse energy of 1.4 nJ and a waveguide with 1.0 µm × 0.9 µm cross section, designed for anomalous dispersion across the 1500 nm telecommunication range, the output spectrum extends from the visible, at around 526 nm, up to the mid-infrared, at least to 2.6 µm, the instrumental limit of our detection. This output spans more than 2.2 octaves (454 THz at the -30 dB level). The measured output spectra agree well with theoretical modeling based on the generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation. The infrared part of the supercontinuum spectra shifts progressively towards the mid-infrared, well beyond 2.6 µm, by increasing the width of the waveguides.

Telecom to mid-infrared spanning supercontinuum generation in hydrogenated amorphous silicon waveguides using a Thulium doped fiber laser pump source.

PubMed

Dave, Utsav D; Uvin, Sarah; Kuyken, Bart; Selvaraja, Shankar; Leo, Francois; Roelkens, Gunther

2013-12-30

A 1,000 nm wide supercontinuum, spanning from 1470 nm in the telecom band to 2470 nm in the mid-infrared is demonstrated in a 800 nm x 220 nm 1 cm long hydrogenated amorphous silicon strip waveguide. The pump source was a picosecond Thulium doped fiber laser centered at 1950 nm. The real part of the nonlinear parameter of this waveguide at 1950 nm is measured to be 100 ± 10 W -1m-1, while the imaginary part of the nonlinear parameter is measured to be 1.2 ± 0.2 W-1m-1. The supercontinuum is stable over a period of at least several hours, as the hydrogenated amorphous silicon waveguides do not degrade when exposed to the high power picosecond pulse train.

Mid-infrared supercontinuum generation in tapered As2S3 chalcogenide planar waveguide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiang; Hu, Hongyu; Li, Wenbo; Dutta, Niloy K.

2016-10-01

We numerically demonstrate mid-infrared supercontinuum generation in a non-uniformly tapered chalcogenide planar waveguide. This planar rib waveguide of As2S3 glass on MgF2 is 2 cm long with increasing etch depth longitudinally to manage the total dispersion. This waveguide has zero dispersion at two wavelengths. The dispersion profile varies along the propagation distance, leading to continuous modification of the phase-matching condition for dispersive wave emission and enhancement of energy transfer efficiency between solitons and dispersive waves. Numerical simulations are conducted for secant input pulses at a wavelength of 1.55 μm with a width of 50 fs and peak power of 2 kW. Results show this proposed scheme significantly broadens the generated continuum, extending from ~1 to ~7 μm.

An efficient method for supercontinuum generation in dispersion-tailored Lead-silicate fiber taper

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Z.; Ma, S.; Dutta, N. K.

2010-08-01

In this paper we theoretically study the broadband mid-IR supercontinuum generation (SCG) in a lead-silicate microstructured fiber (the glass for simulation is SF57). The total dispersion of the fiber can be tailored by changing the core diameter of the fiber so that dispersion profiles with two zero dispersion wavelengths (ZDWs) can be obtained. Numerical simulations of the SCG process in a 4 cm long SF57 fiber/fiber taper seeded by femto-second pulses at telecommunications wavelength of 1.55 µm are presented. The results show that a fiber taper features a continuous shift of the longer zero dispersion wavelength. This extends the generated continuum to a longer wavelength region compared to fibers with fixed ZDWs. The phase-matching condition (PMC) is continuously modified in the fiber taper and the bandwidth of the generated dispersive waves (DWs) is significantly broadened.

Optical frequency up-conversion by supercontinuum-free widely-tunable fiber-optic Cherenkov radiation

PubMed Central

Tu, Haohua; Boppart, Stephen A.

2010-01-01

Spectrally-isolated narrowband Cherenkov radiation from commercial nonlinear photonic crystal fibers is demonstrated as an ultrafast optical source with a visible tuning range of 485–690 nm, which complementarily extends the near-infrared tuning range of 690–1020 nm from the corresponding femtosecond Ti:sapphire pump laser. Pump-to-signal conversion efficiency routinely surpasses 10%, enabling multimilliwatt visible output across the entire tuning range. Appropriate selection of fiber parameters and pumping conditions efficiently suppresses the supercontinuum generation typically associated with Cherenkov radiation. PMID:19506636

Generation of Langmuir wave supercontinuum by phase-preserving equilibration of plasmons with irreversible wave-particle interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eiichirou, Kawamori

2018-04-01

We report the observation of supercontinuum of Langmuir plasma waves, that exhibits broad power spectrum having significant spatio-temporal coherence grown from a monochromatic seed-wave, in one-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. The Langmuir wave supercontinuum (LWSC) is formed when the seed wave excites side-band fields efficiently by the modulational instabilities. Its identification is achieved by the use of the tricoherence analysis, which detects four wave mixings (FWMs) of plasmons (plasma wave quanta), and evaluation of the first order coherence, which is a measure of temporal coherence, of the wave electric fields. The irreversible evolution to the coherent LWSC from the seed wave is realized by the wave-particle interactions causing stochastic electron motions in the phase space and the coherence of LWSC is maintained by the phase-preserving FWMs of plasmons. The LWSC corresponds to a quasi Bernstein-Greene-Kruskal mode.

Cascaded interactions between Raman induced solitons and dispersive waves in photonic crystal fibers at the advanced stage of supercontinuum generation.

PubMed

Driben, Rodislav; Mitschke, Fedor; Zhavoronkov, Nickolai

2010-12-06

The complex mechanism of multiple interactions between solitary and dispersive waves at the advanced stage of supercontinuum generation in photonic crystal fiber is studied in experiment and numerical simulations. Injection of high power negatively chirped pulses near zero dispersion frequency results in an effective soliton fission process with multiple interactions between red shifted Raman solitons and dispersive waves. These interactions may result in relative acceleration of solitons with further collisions between them of quasi-elastic or quasi-plastic kinds. In the spectral domain these processes result in enhancement of certain wavelength regions within the spectrum or development of a new significant band at the long wavelength side of the spectrum.

Generation of an isolated sub-40-as pulse using two-color laser pulses: Combined chirp effects

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Feng, Liqiang; Chu, Tianshu; Institute for Computational Sciences and Engineering, Laboratory of New Fiber Materials and Modern Textile, the Growing Base for State Key Laboratory, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071

2011-11-15

In this paper, we theoretically discuss the combined chirp effects on the isolated attosecond generation when a model Ar is exposed to an intense 5-fs, 800-nm fundamental chirped pulse combined with a weak 10-fs, 1200-nm controlling chirped pulse. It shows that for the case of the chirp parameters {beta}{sub 1} = 6.1 (corresponding to the 800-nm field) and {beta}{sub 2} = 4.0 (corresponding to the 1200-nm field), both the harmonic cutoff energy and the supercontinuum can be remarkably extended resulting in a 663-eV bandwidth. Moreover, due to the introduction of the chirps, the short quantum path is selected to contributemore » to the harmonic spectrum. Finally, by superposing a properly selected harmonic spectrum in the supercontinuum region, an isolated pulse as short as 31 as (5 as) is generated without (with) phase compensation.« less

Cavity Enhanced Absorption Spectroscopy using a Prism Cavity and Supercontinuum Source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehmann, Kevin K.; Johnston, Paul S.

2010-03-01

The multiplex advantage of current cavity enhanced spectrometers is limited by the limited high reflectivity bandwidth of the dielectric mirrors used to construct the high finesse cavity. We report on our development of a spectrometer that uses Brewster's angle retroreflectors that is excited with supercontinuum radiation generated by a 1.06 μm pumped photonic crystal fiber, which covers the 500-1800 nm spectral range. Recent progress will be discussed including modeling of the prism cavity losses, alternative prism materials for use in the UV and mid-IR, and a new higher power source pumped by a mode-locked laser.

Mid-infrared supercontinuum in a Ge11:5As24Se64:5 chalcogenide waveguide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakunasinha, Panarit; Suwanarat, Suksan; Chiangga, Surasak

2015-07-01

We present results of numerical simulations of a supercontinuum generation (SCG) in a Ge11:5As24Se64:5 chalcogenide rectangular waveguide with air as an upper cladding and the lower cladding is magnesium fluoride. A broadband infrared 1.3-3.0 μm SCG could be achieved by pumping with femtosecond pulses in the two zero dispersion wavelengths. The effect of chirp on SCG spectrum has been also investigated. The simulation shows a significant SCG spectral flatness in the mid-infrared range with positive frequency chirp input pulses.

Four-Wave Mixing of Gigawatt Power, Long-Wave Infrared Radiation in Gases and Semiconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pigeon, Jeremy James

The nonlinear optics of gigawatt power, 10 microm, 3 and 200 ps long pulses propagating in gases and semiconductors has been studied experimentally and numerically. In this work, the development of a high-repetition rate, picosecond, CO2 laser system has enabled experiments using peak intensities in the range of 1-10 GW/cm2, approximately one thousand times greater than previous nonlinear optics experiments in the long-wave infrared (LWIR) spectral region. The first measurements of the nonlinear refractive index of the atomic and molecular gases Kr, Xe, N2, O2 and the air at a wavelength near 10 microm were accomplished by studying the four-wave mixing (FWM) of dual-wavelength, 200 ps CO2 laser pulses. These measurements indicate that the nonlinearities of the diatomic molecules N2, O2 and the air are dominated by the molecular contribution to the nonlinear refractive index. Supercontinuum (SC) generation covering the infrared spectral range, from 2-20 microm, was realized by propagating 3 ps, 10 microm pulses in an approximately 7 cm long, Cr-doped GaAs crystal. Temporal measurements of the SC radiation show that pulse splitting accompanies the generation of such broadband light in GaAs. The propagation of 3 ps, 10 microm pulses in GaAs was studied numerically by solving the Generalized Nonlinear Schrodinger Equation (GNLSE). These simulations, combined with analytic estimates, were used to determine that stimulated Raman scattering combined with a modulational instability caused by the propagation of intense LWIR radiation in the negative group velocity dispersion region of GaAs are responsible for the SC generation process. The multiple FWM of a 106 GHz, 200 ps CO2 laser beat-wave propagating in GaAs was used to generate a broadband FWM spectrum that was compressed by the negative group velocity dispersion of GaAs and NaCl crystals to form trains of high-power, picosecond pulses at a wavelength near 10 microm. Experimental FWM spectra obtained using 165 and 882 GHz beat-waves revealed an unexpected and rapid decrease in the FWM yield that was not predicted by the GNLSE model that accounts for third-order nonlinearities alone. These results suggest that the effective nonlinear refractive index of GaAs, having formidable second- and third-order susceptibilities, may be altered by quadratic nonlinearities.

Mid-infrared supercontinuum generation in As2S3-silica "nano-spike" step-index waveguide.

PubMed

Granzow, N; Schmidt, M A; Chang, W; Wang, L; Coulombier, Q; Troles, J; Toupin, P; Hartl, I; Lee, K F; Fermann, M E; Wondraczek, L; Russell, P St J

2013-05-06

Efficient generation of a broad-band mid-infrared supercontinuum spectrum is reported in an arsenic trisulphide waveguide embedded in silica. A chalcogenide "nano-spike", designed to transform the incident light adiabatically into the fundamental mode of a 2-mm-long uniform section 1 µm in diameter, is used to achieve high launch efficiencies. The nano-spike is fully encapsulated in a fused silica cladding, protecting it from the environment. Nano-spikes provide a convenient means of launching light into sub-wavelength scale waveguides. Ultrashort (65 fs, repetition rate 100 MHz) pulses at wavelength 2 µm, delivered from a Tm-doped fiber laser, are launched with an efficiency ~12% into the sub-wavelength chalcogenide waveguide. Soliton fission and dispersive wave generation along the uniform section result in spectral broadening out to almost 4 µm for launched energies of only 18 pJ. The spectrum generated will have immediate uses in metrology and infrared spectroscopy.

Upgrades to improve the usability, reliability, and spectral range of the MST Thomson scattering diagnostic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kubala, S. Z.; Borchardt, M. T.; Den Hartog, D. J.; Holly, D. J.; Jacobson, C. M.; Morton, L. A.; Young, W. C.

2016-11-01

The Thomson scattering diagnostic on MST records both equilibrium and fluctuating electron temperature with a range capability of 10 eV-5 keV. Standard operation with two modified commercial Nd:YAG lasers allows measurements at rates of 1 kHz-25 kHz. Several subsystems of the diagnostic are being improved. The power supplies for the avalanche photodiode detectors (APDs) that record the scattered light are being replaced to improve usability, reliability, and maintainability. Each of the 144 APDs will have an individual rack mounted switching supply, with bias voltage adjustable to match the APD. Long-wavelength filters (1140 nm center, 80 nm bandwidth) have been added to the polychromators to improve capability to resolve non-Maxwellian distributions and to enable directed electron flow measurements. A supercontinuum (SC) pulsed white light source has replaced the tungsten halogen lamp previously used for spectral calibration of the polychromators. The SC source combines substantial brightness produced in nanosecond pulses with a spectrum that covers the entire range of the polychromators.

Upgrades to improve the usability, reliability, and spectral range of the MST Thomson scattering diagnostic.

PubMed

Kubala, S Z; Borchardt, M T; Den Hartog, D J; Holly, D J; Jacobson, C M; Morton, L A; Young, W C

2016-11-01

The Thomson scattering diagnostic on MST records both equilibrium and fluctuating electron temperature with a range capability of 10 eV-5 keV. Standard operation with two modified commercial Nd:YAG lasers allows measurements at rates of 1 kHz-25 kHz. Several subsystems of the diagnostic are being improved. The power supplies for the avalanche photodiode detectors (APDs) that record the scattered light are being replaced to improve usability, reliability, and maintainability. Each of the 144 APDs will have an individual rack mounted switching supply, with bias voltage adjustable to match the APD. Long-wavelength filters (1140 nm center, 80 nm bandwidth) have been added to the polychromators to improve capability to resolve non-Maxwellian distributions and to enable directed electron flow measurements. A supercontinuum (SC) pulsed white light source has replaced the tungsten halogen lamp previously used for spectral calibration of the polychromators. The SC source combines substantial brightness produced in nanosecond pulses with a spectrum that covers the entire range of the polychromators.

Broadband supercontinuum generation with femtosecond pulse width in erbium-doped fiber laser (EDFL)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rifin, S. N. M.; Zulkifli, M. Z.; Hassan, S. N. M.; Munajat, Y.; Ahmad, H.

2016-11-01

We demonstrate two flat plateaus and the low-noise spectrum of supercontinuum generation (SCG) in a highly nonlinear fiber (HNLF), injected by an amplified picosecond pulse seed of a carbon nanotube-based passively mode locked erbium-doped fiber laser. A broad spectrum of width approximately 1090 nm spanning the range 1130-2220 nm is obtained and the pulse width is compressed to the shorter duration of 70 fs. Variations of the injected peak power up to 33.78 kW into the HNLF are compared and the broad spectrum SCG profiles slightly expand for each of the injected peak powers. This straightforward configuration of SCG offers low output power and ultra-narrow femtosecond pulse width. The results facilitate the development of all fiber time-domain spectroscopy systems based on the photoconductive antenna technique.

Development of As-Se tapered suspended-core fibers for ultra-broadband mid-IR wavelength conversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anashkina, E. A.; Shiryaev, V. S.; Koptev, M. Y.; Stepanov, B. S.; Muravyev, S. V.

2018-01-01

We designed and developed tapered suspended-core fibers of high-purity As39Se61 glass for supercontinuum generation in the mid-IR with a standard fiber laser pump source at 2 ${\\mu}$m. It was shown that microstructuring allows shifting a zero dispersion wavelength to the range shorter than 2 ${\\mu}$m in the fiber waist with a core diameter of about 1 ${\\mu}$m. In this case, supercontinuum generation in the 1-10 ${\\mu}$m range was obtained numerically with 150-fs 100-pJ pump pulses at 2 ${\\mu}$m. We also performed experiments on wavelength conversion of ultrashort optical pulses at 1.57 ${\\mu}$m from Er: fiber laser system in the manufactured As-Se tapered fibers. The measured broadening spectra were in a good agreement with the ones simulated numerically.

Noise characterization of broadband fiber Cherenkov radiation as a visible-wavelength source for optical coherence tomography and two-photon fluorescence microscopy.

PubMed

Tu, Haohua; Zhao, Youbo; Liu, Yuan; Liu, Yuan-Zhi; Boppart, Stephen

2014-08-25

Optical sources in the visible region immediately adjacent to the near-infrared biological optical window are preferred in imaging techniques such as spectroscopic optical coherence tomography of endogenous absorptive molecules and two-photon fluorescence microscopy of intrinsic fluorophores. However, existing sources based on fiber supercontinuum generation are known to have high relative intensity noise and low spectral coherence, which may degrade imaging performance. Here we compare the optical noise and pulse compressibility of three high-power fiber Cherenkov radiation sources developed recently, and evaluate their potential to replace the existing supercontinuum sources in these imaging techniques.

Supercontinuum optimization for dual-soliton based light sources using genetic algorithms in a grid platform.

PubMed

Arteaga-Sierra, F R; Milián, C; Torres-Gómez, I; Torres-Cisneros, M; Moltó, G; Ferrando, A

2014-09-22

We present a numerical strategy to design fiber based dual pulse light sources exhibiting two predefined spectral peaks in the anomalous group velocity dispersion regime. The frequency conversion is based on the soliton fission and soliton self-frequency shift occurring during supercontinuum generation. The optimization process is carried out by a genetic algorithm that provides the optimum input pulse parameters: wavelength, temporal width and peak power. This algorithm is implemented in a Grid platform in order to take advantage of distributed computing. These results are useful for optical coherence tomography applications where bell-shaped pulses located in the second near-infrared window are needed.

High resolution group refractive index measurement by broadband supercontinuum interferometry and wavelet-transform analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reolon, David; Jacquot, Maxime; Verrier, Isabelle; Brun, Gérald; Veillas, Colette

2006-12-01

In this paper we propose group refractive index measurement with a spectral interferometric set-up using a broadband supercontinuum generated in an air-silica Microstructured Optical Fibre (MOF) pumped with a picosecond pulsed microchip laser. This source authorizes high fringes visibility for dispersion measurements by Spectroscopic Analysis of White Light Interferograms (SAWLI). Phase calculation is assumed by a wavelet transform procedure combined with a curve fit of the recorded channelled spectrum intensity. This approach provides high resolution and absolute group refractive index measurements along one line of the sample by recording a single 2D spectral interferogram without mechanical scanning.

Supercontinuum generation in quadratic nonlinear waveguides without quasi-phase matching.

PubMed

Guo, Hairun; Zhou, Binbin; Steinert, Michael; Setzpfandt, Frank; Pertsch, Thomas; Chung, Hung-ping; Chen, Yen-Hung; Bache, Morten

2015-02-15

Supercontinuum generation (SCG) is most efficient when the solitons can be excited directly at the pump laser wavelength. Quadratic nonlinear waveguides may induce an effective negative Kerr nonlinearity, so temporal solitons can be directly generated in the normal (positive) dispersion regime overlapping with common ultrafast laser wavelengths. There is no need for waveguide dispersion engineering. Here, we experimentally demonstrate SCG in standard lithium niobate (LN) waveguides without quasi-phase matching (QPM), pumped with femtosecond pulses in the normal dispersion regime. The observed large bandwidths (even octave spanning), together with other experimental data, indicate that negative nonlinearity solitons are indeed excited, which is backed up by numerical simulations. The QPM-free design reduces production complexity, extends the maximum waveguide length, and limits undesired spectral resonances. Finally, nonlinear crystals can be used where QPM is inefficient or impossible, which is important for mid-IR SCG. QPM-free waveguides in mid-IR nonlinear crystals can support negative nonlinearity solitons, as these waveguides have a normal dispersion at the emission wavelengths of mid-IR ultrafast lasers.

White light for the fast lane: supercontinuum generation in all-normal dispersion fibers for ultrafast photonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heidt, Alexander M.

2014-03-01

This talk will give an overview of the unique properties of supercontinuum generation (SCG) in all-normal dispersion (ANDi) fibers pumped by ultrashort pulses and the possibilities they offer for ultrafast photonics applications. In contrast to their anomalously pumped counterparts, the SCG process in ANDi fibers conserves a single ultrashort pulse in the time domain, completely suppresses soliton formation and decay, and avoids noise-amplifying nonlinear dynamics. The resulting spectra combine the best of both worlds - the broad, more than octave-spanning bandwidths usually associated with anomalous dispersion pumping with the high temporal coherence, pulse-to-pulse stability and well-defined temporal pulse characteristics known from the normal dispersion regime. These characteristics are ideally suited for ultrafast photonics, and I will present application examples including the generation of high quality single-cycle pulses and their amplification, as well as ultrafast spectroscopy. This talk will also explore the exciting new possibilities enabled by extending this approach into the mid-IR spectral region using novel soft glass fiber designs.

Filamentation in Air with Ultrashort Mid-Infrared Pulses

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-05-09

remote sensing [11, 12], lightning guiding [13–15], supercontinuum generation ( SCG ) [16], pulse compression [17], and THz generation [18]. Although...shock) and push the pulse toward positive times [23, 24, 46, 54, 55] [see Fig. 3(a) at ζ = 0.6]. Subsequently, the pulse collapses at ζ = 0.9, and SCG

Polarization control of isolated high-harmonic pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Pei-Chi; Hernández-García, Carlos; Huang, Jen-Ting; Huang, Po-Yao; Lu, Chih-Hsuan; Rego, Laura; Hickstein, Daniel D.; Ellis, Jennifer L.; Jaron-Becker, Agnieszka; Becker, Andreas; Yang, Shang-Da; Durfee, Charles G.; Plaja, Luis; Kapteyn, Henry C.; Murnane, Margaret M.; Kung, A. H.; Chen, Ming-Chang

2018-06-01

High-harmonic generation driven by femtosecond lasers makes it possible to capture the fastest dynamics in molecules and materials. However, thus far, the shortest isolated attosecond pulses have only been produced with linear polarization, which limits the range of physics that can be explored. Here, we demonstrate robust polarization control of isolated extreme-ultraviolet pulses by exploiting non-collinear high-harmonic generation driven by two counter-rotating few-cycle laser beams. The circularly polarized supercontinuum is produced at a central photon energy of 33 eV with a transform limit of 190 as and a predicted linear chirp of 330 as. By adjusting the ellipticity of the two counter-rotating driving pulses simultaneously, we control the polarization state of isolated extreme-ultraviolet pulses—from circular through elliptical to linear polarization—without sacrificing conversion efficiency. Access to the purely circularly polarized supercontinuum, combined with full helicity and ellipticity control, paves the way towards attosecond metrology of circular dichroism.

Tapered chalcogenide-tellurite hybrid microstructured fiber for mid-infrared supercontinuum generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Peilong; Zhang, Peiqing; Dai, Shixun; Wu, Yuehao; Wang, Xunsi; Tao, Guangming; Nie, Qiuhua

2015-05-01

Fibers exhibiting flattened and decreasing dispersion are important in nonlinear applications. Such fibers are difficult to design, particularly in soft glass. In this work, we develop a preliminary design of a highly nonlinear tapered hybrid microstructured optical fiber (TH-MOF) with chalcogenide glass core and tellurite glass microstructure cladding. We then numerically studied its dispersion, loss, and nonlinearity-related optical properties under fundamental mode systematically using the infinitesimal method. The designed TH-MOF exhibits low chromatic dispersion that is similar to a convex function with two zero-dispersion wavelengths and decreases with fiber length from 2 to 5 μm band. The potential use of the TH-MOF in nonlinear applications is demonstrated numerically by a supercontinuum spectrum of 20 dB bandwidth covering 1.96-4.76 μm generated in 2-cm-long TH-MOF using near 3.25-μm fs-laser pump.

Radiation absorption in different kinds of tissue analysis: ex vivo study with supercontinuum laser source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fornaini, Carlo; Merigo, Elisabetta; Selleri, Stefano; Cucinotta, Annamaria

2016-03-01

With the introduction of more and more new wavelengths, one of the main problems of medical laser users was centered on the study of laser-tissue interactions with the aim of determining the ideal wavelength for their treatments. The aim of this ex vivo study was to determine, by means of the utilization of a supercontinuum source, the amount of transmitted energy of different wavelengths in different organ samples obtained by Sprague Dawley rats. Supercontinuum light is generated by exploiting high optical non-linearity in a material and it combines the broadband attributes of a lamp with the spatial coherence and high brightness of laser. Even if the single transmission measurement does not allow us to separate out the respective contribution of scattering and absorption, it gives us an evaluation of the wavelengths not interacting with the tissue. In this way, being possible to determine what of the laser wavelengths are not useful or active in the different kinds of tissue, physicians may choose the proper device for his clinical treatments.

Experimental study of THz electro-optical sampling crystals ZnSe, ZnTe and GaP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhukova, M.; Makarov, E.; Putilin, S.; Tsypkin, A.; Chegnov, V.; Chegnova, O.; Bespalov, V.

2017-11-01

The application of optoelectronic techniques to the generation and detection of THz radiation is now well established. Wide gap semiconductor crystals of groups II-VI, III-V and III-VI are abundantly used. However, some limitations are occurred while using powerful laser systems. In this paper we introduce experimental results of two-photon absorption (2PA) in ZnSe, ZnTe and GaP studied with femtosecond pump-probe supercontinuum spectroscopy. Using of supercontinuum helps us to measure 2PA absorption dynamics and nonlinear index of refraction in wide frequency ranges. Besides influence of Fe concentration in ZnSe:Fe crystals on transmitted THz radiation is described.

Spectral radiance source based on supercontinuum laser and wavelength tunable bandpass filter: the spectrally tunable absolute irradiance and radiance source.

PubMed

Levick, Andrew P; Greenwell, Claire L; Ireland, Jane; Woolliams, Emma R; Goodman, Teresa M; Bialek, Agnieszka; Fox, Nigel P

2014-06-01

A new spectrally tunable source for calibration of radiometric detectors in radiance, irradiance, or power mode has been developed and characterized. It is termed the spectrally tunable absolute irradiance and radiance source (STAIRS). It consists of a supercontinuum laser, wavelength tunable bandpass filter, power stabilization feedback control scheme, and output coupling optics. It has the advantages of relative portability and a collimated beam (low étendue), and is an alternative to conventional sources such as tungsten lamps, blackbodies, or tunable lasers. The supercontinuum laser is a commercial Fianium SC400-6-02, which has a wavelength range between 400 and 2500 nm and a total power of 6 W. The wavelength tunable bandpass filter, a PhotonEtc laser line tunable filter (LLTF), is tunable between 400 and 1000 nm and has a bandwidth of 1 or 2 nm depending on the wavelength selected. The collimated laser beam from the LLTF filter is converted to an appropriate spatial and angular distribution for the application considered (i.e., for radiance, irradiance, or power mode calibration of a radiometric sensor) with the output coupling optics, for example, an integrating sphere, and the spectral radiance/irradiance/power of the source is measured using a calibration optical sensor. A power stabilization feedback control scheme has been incorporated that stabilizes the source to better than 0.01% for averaging times longer than 100 s. The out-of-band transmission of the LLTF filter is estimated to be < -65 dB (0.00003%), and is sufficiently low for many end-user applications, for example the spectral radiance calibration of earth observation imaging radiometers and the stray light characterization of array spectrometers (the end-user optical sensor). We have made initial measurements of two end-user instruments with the STAIRS source, an array spectrometer and ocean color radiometer.

Rib waveguide in Ga-Sb-S chalcogenide glass for on-chip mid-IR supercontinuum sources: Design and analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saini, Than Singh; Tiwari, Umesh Kumar; Sinha, Ravindra Kumar

2017-08-01

Recently, highly nonlinear Ga-Sb-S chalcogenide glasses have been reported for promising mid-infrared applications such as thermal imaging, nonlinear optics, and infrared lasers. However, the nonlinear optical fiber and waveguide geometries in Ga-Sb-S chalcogenide glasses have not been reported to date. In this paper, we numerically investigate the design of the dual zero dispersion engineered rib waveguide in Ga8Sb32S60 chalcogenide glass by employing MgF2 glass as a lower and upper cladding material. The waveguide structure possesses nonlinearity as high as 24 100 W-1 Km-1 and 14 000 W-1 Km-1 at 2050 and 2800 nm, respectively. The reported waveguide is able to generate a mid-infrared supercontinuum spectrum spanning from 1000 to 7800 nm when it pumped with 97 femtosecond laser pulses of a peak power of 1 kW at 2050 nm. We have also showed that the supercontinuum spectrum can be extended to the spectral range of 1000-9700 nm using pumping with 497 fs pulses of a peak power of 6.4 kW at 2800 nm. To the best of our knowledge, the proposed rib waveguide structure in Ga8Sb32S60 chalcogenide glass has been reported first time for nonlinear applications. Such a dispersion engineered rib waveguide structure has potential applications for the low-cost, power efficient, and compact on-chip mid-infrared supercontinuum sources and other nonlinear photonic devices.

Supercontinuum ultra-high resolution line-field OCT; experimental spectrograph comparison and comparison with current clinical OCT systems by the imaging of a human cornea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawman, Samuel; Romano, Vito; Madden, Peter W.; Mason, Sharon; Williams, Bryan M.; Zheng, Yalin; Shen, Yao-Chun

2018-03-01

Ultra high axial resolution (UHR) was demonstrated early in the development of optical coherence tomography (OCT), but has not yet reached clinical practice. We present the combination of supercontinuum light source and line field (LF-) OCT as a technical and economical route to get UHR-OCT into clinic and other OCT application areas. We directly compare images of a human donor cornea taken with low and high resolution current generation clinical OCT systems with UHR-LF-OCT. These images highlight the massive information increase of UHR-OCT. Application to pharmaceutical pellets, and the functionality and imaging performance of different imaging spectrograph choices for LF- OCT are also demonstrated.

Engineering ultra-flattened normal dispersion photonic crystal fiber with silica material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferhat, Mohamed Lamine; Cherbi, Lynda; Bahloul, Lies; Hariz, Abdelhafid

2017-05-01

The tailoring of the group velocity dispersion (GVD) of an optical fiber is critical in many applications, influence on the bandwidth of information transmission in optical communication systems, successful utilization of nonlinear optical properties in applications such as supercontinuum generation, wavelength conversion and harmonic generation via stimulated Raman scattering ...In this work, we propose a design of ultra-flattened photonic crystal fiber by changing the diameter of the air holes of the cladding rings. The geometry is composed of only four rings, hexagonal structure of air holes and silica as background of the solid core. As a result, we present structures with broadband flat normal dispersion on many wavelengths bands useful for several applications. We obtain flat normal dispersion over 1000 nm broadband flat normal dispersion below -7 [ps/nm.km], and ultra-flat near zero normal dispersion below -0.2 [ps/nm.km] over 150 nm. The modeled photonic crystal fiber would be valuable for the fabrication of ultra-flattened-dispersion fibers, and have potential applications in wide-band high-speed optical communication systems, supercontinuum generation and many other applications.

Mid-infrared supercontinuum covering the 1.4-13.3 μm molecular fingerprint region using ultra-high NA chalcogenide step-index fibre

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petersen, Christian Rosenberg; Møller, Uffe; Kubat, Irnis; Zhou, Binbin; Dupont, Sune; Ramsay, Jacob; Benson, Trevor; Sujecki, Slawomir; Abdel-Moneim, Nabil; Tang, Zhuoqi; Furniss, David; Seddon, Angela; Bang, Ole

2014-11-01

The mid-infrared spectral region is of great technical and scientific interest because most molecules display fundamental vibrational absorptions in this region, leaving distinctive spectral fingerprints. To date, the limitations of mid-infrared light sources such as thermal emitters, low-power laser diodes, quantum cascade lasers and synchrotron radiation have precluded mid-infrared applications where the spatial coherence, broad bandwidth, high brightness and portability of a supercontinuum laser are all required. Here, we demonstrate experimentally that launching intense ultra-short pulses with a central wavelength of either 4.5 μm or 6.3 μm into short pieces of ultra-high numerical-aperture step-index chalcogenide glass optical fibre generates a mid-infrared supercontinuum spanning 1.5 μm to 11.7 μm and 1.4 μm to 13.3 μm, respectively. This is the first experimental demonstration to truly reveal the potential of fibres to emit across the mid-infrared molecular ‘fingerprint region’, which is of key importance for applications such as early cancer diagnostics, gas sensing and food quality control.

A rapid excitation-emission matrix fluorometer utilizing supercontinuum white light and acousto-optic tunable filters

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Wenbo; Department of Dermatology and Skin Science, University of British Columbia, 835 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4E8; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, KAIS 5500, 2332 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4

Scanning speed and coupling efficiency of excitation light to optic fibres are two major technical challenges that limit the potential of fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectrometer for on-line applications and in vivo studies. In this paper, a novel EEM system, utilizing a supercontinuum white light source and acousto-optic tunable filters (AOTFs), was introduced and evaluated. The supercontinuum white light, generated by pumping a nonlinear photonic crystal fiber with an 800 nm femtosecond laser, was efficiently coupled into a bifurcated optic fiber bundle. High speed EEM spectral scanning was achieved using AOTFs both for selecting excitation wavelength and scanning emission spectra.more » Using calibration lamps (neon and mercury argon), wavelength deviations were determined to vary from 0.18 nm to −0.70 nm within the spectral range of 500–850 nm. Spectral bandwidth for filtered excitation light broadened by twofold compared to that measured with monochromatic light between 650 nm and 750 nm. The EEM spectra for methanol solutions of laser dyes were successfully acquired with this rapid fluorometer using an integration time of 5 s.« less

Absolute calibration of optical streak cameras on picosecond time scales using supercontinuum generation

DOE PAGES

Patankar, S.; Gumbrell, E. T.; Robinson, T. S.; ...

2017-08-17

Here we report a new method using high stability, laser-driven supercontinuum generation in a liquid cell to calibrate the absolute photon response of fast optical streak cameras as a function of wavelength when operating at fastest sweep speeds. A stable, pulsed white light source based around the use of self-phase modulation in a salt solution was developed to provide the required brightness on picosecond timescales, enabling streak camera calibration in fully dynamic operation. The measured spectral brightness allowed for absolute photon response calibration over a broad spectral range (425-650nm). Calibrations performed with two Axis Photonique streak cameras using the Photonismore » P820PSU streak tube demonstrated responses which qualitatively follow the photocathode response. Peak sensitivities were 1 photon/count above background. The absolute dynamic sensitivity is less than the static by up to an order of magnitude. We attribute this to the dynamic response of the phosphor being lower.« less

A theoretical investigation of soliton induced supercontinuum generation in liquid core photonic crystal fiber and dual core optical fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Porsezian, K.; Nithyanandan, K.; Vasantha Jayakantha Raja, R.; Ganapathy, R.

2013-07-01

The supercontinuum generation (SCG) in liquid core photonic crystal fiber (LCPCF) with versatile nonlinear response and the spectral broadening in dual core optical fiber is presented. The analysis is presented in two phase, phase I deals with the SCG in LCPCF with the effect of saturable nonlinearity and re-orientational nonlinearity. We identify and discuss the generic nature of the saturable nonlinearity and reorientational nonlinearity in the SCG, using suitable model. For the physical explanation, modulational instability and soliton fission techniques is implemented to investigate the impact of saturable nonlinear response and slow nonlinear response, respectively. It is observed that the saturable nonlinearity inevitably suppresses the MI and the subsequent SCG. On the other hand, the re-orientational nonlinearity contributes to the slow nonlinear response in addition to the conventional fast response due to the electronic contribution. The phase II features the exclusive investigation of the spectral broadening in the dual core optical fiber.

Double optical gating of high-order harmonic generation with carrier-envelope phase stabilized lasers.

PubMed

Mashiko, Hiroki; Gilbertson, Steve; Li, Chengquan; Khan, Sabih D; Shakya, Mahendra M; Moon, Eric; Chang, Zenghu

2008-03-14

We demonstrated a novel optical switch to control the high-order harmonic generation process so that single attosecond pulses can be generated with multiple-cycle pulses. The technique combines two powerful optical gating methods: polarization gating and two-color gating. An extreme ultraviolet supercontinuum supporting 130 as was generated with neon gas using 9 fs laser pulses. We discovered a unique dependence of the harmonic spectra on the carrier-envelope phase of the laser fields, which repeats every 2 pi radians.

Double Optical Gating of High-Order Harmonic Generation with Carrier-Envelope Phase Stabilized Lasers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mashiko, Hiroki; Gilbertson, Steve; Li, Chengquan

2008-03-14

We demonstrated a novel optical switch to control the high-order harmonic generation process so that single attosecond pulses can be generated with multiple-cycle pulses. The technique combines two powerful optical gating methods: polarization gating and two-color gating. An extreme ultraviolet supercontinuum supporting 130 as was generated with neon gas using 9 fs laser pulses. We discovered a unique dependence of the harmonic spectra on the carrier-envelope phase of the laser fields, which repeats every 2{pi} radians.

Power play in the supercontinuum spectra of saturable nonlinear media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nithyanandan, K.; Vasantha Jayakantha Raja, R.; Porsezian, K.

2014-04-01

We investigate the role of pump power in the generation of supercontinua spectra induced by modulational instability (MI) in saturable nonlinear media (SNL). First, we analyze the dynamics of MI in the SNL using linear stability analysis. We then deal with the generation of a broadband spectrum by virtue of the instability process, and identify the unique behavior of MI in the SNL system. Unlike the case of Kerr-type nonlinearity, the so-called critical modulational frequency (CMF) does not monotonically increase, but behaves in a unique way, such that the increase in power increases the CMF up to the saturation power, and a further increase in power decreases the CMF. This behavior is identified to be unusual in the context of MI and thus makes the study of MI and supercontinuum generation (SCG) of interest. In order to confirm the above stated behavior in relation to SCG, we numerically analyzed the SCG using a split-step Fourier method, and the results confirm that at input power equal to saturation power, phase matching occurs at a short distance relative to other power levels and leads to a maximum enhancement of SCG in certain SNL materials.

High energy supercontinuum sources using tapered photonic crystal fibers for multispectral photoacoustic microscopy.

PubMed

Bondu, Magalie; Brooks, Christopher; Jakobsen, Christian; Oakes, Keith; Moselund, Peter Morten; Leick, Lasse; Bang, Ole; Podoleanu, Adrian

2016-06-01

We demonstrate a record bandwidth high energy supercontinuum source suitable for multispectral photoacoustic microscopy. The source has more than 150  nJ/10  nm bandwidth over a spectral range of 500 to 1600 nm. This performance is achieved using a carefully designed fiber taper with large-core input for improved power handling and small-core output that provides the desired spectral range of the supercontinuum source.

Highly coherent mid-IR supercontinuum by self-defocusing solitons in lithium niobate waveguides with all-normal dispersion.

PubMed

Guo, Hairun; Zhou, Binbin; Zeng, Xianglong; Bache, Morten

2014-05-19

We numerically investigate self-defocusing solitons in a lithium niobate (LN) waveguide designed to have a large refractive index (RI) change. The waveguide evokes strong waveguide dispersion and all-normal dispersion is found in the entire guiding band spanning the near-IR and the beginning of the mid-IR. Meanwhile, a self-defocusing nonlinearity is invoked by the cascaded (phase-mismatched) second-harmonic generation under a quasi-phase-matching pitch. Combining this with the all-normal dispersion, mid-IR solitons can form and the waveguide presents the first all-nonlinear and solitonic device where no linear dispersion (i.e. non-solitonic) regimes exist within the guiding band. Soliton compressions at 2 μm and 3 μm are investigated, with nano-joule single cycle pulse formations and highly coherent octave-spanning supercontinuum generations. With an alternative design on the waveguide dispersion, the soliton spectral tunneling effect is also investigated, with which few-cycle pico-joule pulses at 2 μm are formed by a near-IR pump.

As₂S₃-silica double-nanospike waveguide for mid-infrared supercontinuum generation.

PubMed

Xie, Shangran; Tani, Francesco; Travers, John C; Uebel, Patrick; Caillaud, Celine; Troles, Johann; Schmidt, Markus A; Russell, Philip St J

2014-09-01

A double-nanospike As2S3-silica hybrid waveguide structure is reported. The structure comprises nanotapers at input and output ends of a step-index waveguide with a subwavelength core (1 μm in diameter), with the aim of increasing the in-coupling and out-coupling efficiency. The design of the input nanospike is numerically optimized to match both the diameter and divergence of the input beam, resulting in efficient excitation of the fundamental mode of the waveguide. The output nanospike is introduced to reduce the output beam divergence and the strong endface Fresnel reflection. The insertion loss of the waveguide is measured to be ∼2  dB at 1550 nm in the case of free-space in-coupling, which is ∼7  dB lower than the previously reported single-nanospike waveguide. By pumping a 3-mm-long waveguide at 1550 nm using a 60-fs fiber laser, an octave-spanning supercontinuum (from 0.8 to beyond 2.5 μm) is generated at 38 pJ input energy.

Generation of single attosecond pulse within one atomic unit by using multi-cycle inhomogeneous polarization gating technology in bowtie-shaped nanostructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Liqiang; Liu, Hang

2018-04-01

The generations of high-order harmonic spectra and single attosecond pulses (SAPs) driven by the multi-cycle inhomogeneous polarization gating (PG) technology in the bowtie-shaped nanostructure have been theoretically investigated. It is found that by setting the bowtie-shaped nanostructure along the driven laser polarization direction, not only the extension of the harmonic cutoff can be achieved, caused by the surface plasmon polaritons, but also the modulations of the harmonics can be decreased, caused by the PG technology and the inhomogeneous effect. As a result, the contribution of the harmonic plateau is only from one harmonic emission peak with the dominant short quantum path. Further, by properly adding a half-cycle pulse into the driven laser field, the harmonic emission process can be precisely controlled in the half-cycle duration and a supercontinuum with the bandwidth of 263 eV can be obtained. Finally, by directly superposing the harmonics from this supercontinuum, a SAP with the full width at half maximum of 23 as can be obtained, which is shorter than one atomic unit.

Nonlinear optical interactions in silicon waveguides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuyken, B.; Leo, F.; Clemmen, S.; Dave, U.; Van Laer, R.; Ideguchi, T.; Zhao, H.; Liu, X.; Safioui, J.; Coen, S.; Gorza, S. P.; Selvaraja, S. K.; Massar, S.; Osgood, R. M.; Verheyen, P.; Van Campenhout, J.; Baets, R.; Green, W. M. J.; Roelkens, G.

2017-03-01

The strong nonlinear response of silicon photonic nanowire waveguides allows for the integration of nonlinear optical functions on a chip. However, the detrimental nonlinear optical absorption in silicon at telecom wavelengths limits the efficiency of many such experiments. In this review, several approaches are proposed and demonstrated to overcome this fundamental issue. By using the proposed methods, we demonstrate amongst others supercontinuum generation, frequency comb generation, a parametric optical amplifier, and a parametric optical oscillator.

Multispectral photoacoustic microscopy of lipids using a pulsed supercontinuum laser.

PubMed

Buma, Takashi; Conley, Nicole C; Choi, Sang Won

2018-01-01

We demonstrate optical resolution photoacoustic microscopy (OR-PAM) of lipid-rich tissue between 1050-1714 nm using a pulsed supercontinuum laser based on a large-mode-area photonic crystal fiber. OR-PAM experiments of lipid-rich samples show the expected optical absorption peaks near 1210 and 1720 nm. These results show that pulsed supercontinuum lasers are promising for OR-PAM applications such as label-free histology of lipid-rich tissue and imaging small animal models of disease.

Self-phase-modulation induced spectral broadening in silicon waveguides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyraz, Ozdal; Indukuri, Tejaswi; Jalali, Bahram

2004-03-01

The prospect for generating supercontinuum pulses on a silicon chip is studied. Using ~4ps optical pulses with 2.2GW/cm2 peak power, a 2 fold spectral broadening is obtained. Theoretical calculations, that include the effect of two-photon-absorption, indicate up to 5 times spectral broadening is achievable at 10x higher peak powers. Representing a nonlinear loss mechanism at high intensities, TPA limits the maximum optical bandwidth that can be generated.

Self-phase-modulation induced spectral broadening in silicon waveguides.

PubMed

Boyraz, Ozdal; Indukuri, Tejaswi; Jalali, Bahram

2004-03-08

The prospect for generating supercontinuum pulses on a silicon chip is studied. Using ~4ps optical pulses with 2.2GW/cm(2) peak power, a 2 fold spectral broadening is obtained. Theoretical calculations, that include the effect of two-photon-absorption, indicate up to 5 times spectral broadening is achievable at 10x higher peak powers. Representing a nonlinear loss mechanism at high intensities, TPA limits the maximum optical bandwidth that can be generated.

Development of a Fiber Laser with Independently Adjustable Properties for Optical Resolution Photoacoustic Microscopy.

PubMed

Aytac-Kipergil, Esra; Demirkiran, Aytac; Uluc, Nasire; Yavas, Seydi; Kayikcioglu, Tunc; Salman, Sarper; Karamuk, Sohret Gorkem; Ilday, Fatih Omer; Unlu, Mehmet Burcin

2016-12-08

Photoacoustic imaging is based on the detection of generated acoustic waves through thermal expansion of tissue illuminated by short laser pulses. Fiber lasers as an excitation source for photoacoustic imaging have recently been preferred for their high repetition frequencies. Here, we report a unique fiber laser developed specifically for multiwavelength photoacoustic microscopy system. The laser is custom-made for maximum flexibility in adjustment of its parameters; pulse duration (5-10 ns), pulse energy (up to 10 μJ) and repetition frequency (up to 1 MHz) independently from each other and covers a broad spectral region from 450 to 1100 nm and also can emit wavelengths of 532, 355, and 266 nm. The laser system consists of a master oscillator power amplifier, seeding two stages; supercontinuum and harmonic generation units. The laser is outstanding since the oscillator, amplifier and supercontinuum generation parts are all-fiber integrated with custom-developed electronics and software. To demonstrate the feasibility of the system, the images of several elements of standardized resolution test chart are acquired at multiple wavelengths. The lateral resolution of optical resolution photoacoustic microscopy system is determined as 2.68 μm. The developed system may pave the way for spectroscopic photoacoustic microscopy applications via widely tunable fiber laser technologies.

Development of a Fiber Laser with Independently Adjustable Properties for Optical Resolution Photoacoustic Microscopy

PubMed Central

Aytac-Kipergil, Esra; Demirkiran, Aytac; Uluc, Nasire; Yavas, Seydi; Kayikcioglu, Tunc; Salman, Sarper; Karamuk, Sohret Gorkem; Ilday, Fatih Omer; Unlu, Mehmet Burcin

2016-01-01

Photoacoustic imaging is based on the detection of generated acoustic waves through thermal expansion of tissue illuminated by short laser pulses. Fiber lasers as an excitation source for photoacoustic imaging have recently been preferred for their high repetition frequencies. Here, we report a unique fiber laser developed specifically for multiwavelength photoacoustic microscopy system. The laser is custom-made for maximum flexibility in adjustment of its parameters; pulse duration (5–10 ns), pulse energy (up to 10 μJ) and repetition frequency (up to 1 MHz) independently from each other and covers a broad spectral region from 450 to 1100 nm and also can emit wavelengths of 532, 355, and 266 nm. The laser system consists of a master oscillator power amplifier, seeding two stages; supercontinuum and harmonic generation units. The laser is outstanding since the oscillator, amplifier and supercontinuum generation parts are all-fiber integrated with custom-developed electronics and software. To demonstrate the feasibility of the system, the images of several elements of standardized resolution test chart are acquired at multiple wavelengths. The lateral resolution of optical resolution photoacoustic microscopy system is determined as 2.68 μm. The developed system may pave the way for spectroscopic photoacoustic microscopy applications via widely tunable fiber laser technologies. PMID:27929049

Nonlinear optics in the LP(02) higher-order mode of a fiber.

PubMed

Chen, Y; Chen, Z; Wadsworth, W J; Birks, T A

2013-07-29

The distinct disperion properties of higher-order modes in optical fibers permit the nonlinear generation of radiation deeper into the ultraviolet than is possible with the fundamental mode. This is exploited using adiabatic, broadband mode convertors to couple light efficiently from an input fundamental mode and also to return the generated light to an output fundamental mode over a broad spectral range. For example, we generate visible and UV supercontinuum light in the LP(02) mode of a photonic crystal fiber from sub-ns pulses with a wavelength of 532 nm.

Broadband high-resolution multi-species CARS in gas-filled hollow-core photonic crystal fiber.

PubMed

Trabold, Barbara M; Hupfer, Robert J R; Abdolvand, Amir; St J Russell, Philip

2017-09-01

We report the use of coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) in gas-filled hollow-core photonic crystal fiber (HC-PCF) for trace gas detection. The long optical path-lengths yield a 60 dB increase in the signal level compared with free-space arrangements. This enables a relatively weak supercontinuum (SC) to be used as Stokes seed, along with a ns pump pulse, paving the way for broadband (>4000  cm -1 ) single-shot CARS with an unprecedented resolution of ∼100  MHz. A kagomé-style HC-PCF provides broadband guidance, and, by operating close to the pressure-tunable zero dispersion wavelength, we can ensure simultaneous phase-matching of all gas species. We demonstrate simultaneous measurement of the concentrations of multiple trace gases in a gas sample introduced into the core of the HC-PCF.

Supercontinuum Fourier transform spectrometry with balanced detection on a single photodiode

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goncharov, Vasily V.; Hall, Gregory E., E-mail: gehall@bnl.gov

We demonstrate a method of combining a supercontinuum light source with a commercial Fourier transform spectrometer, using a novel approach to dual-beam balanced detection, implemented with phase-sensitive detection on a single light detector. A 40 dB reduction in the relative intensity noise is achieved for broadband light, analogous to conventional balanced detection methods using two matched photodetectors. Unlike conventional balanced detection, however, this method exploits the time structure of the broadband source to interleave signal and reference pulse trains in the time domain, recording the broadband differential signal at the fundamental pulse repetition frequency of the supercontinuum. The method ismore » capable of real-time correction for instability in the supercontinuum spectral structure over a broad range of wavelengths and is compatible with commercially designed spectrometers. A proof-of-principle experimental setup is demonstrated for weak absorption in the 1500-1600 nm region.« less

Supercontinuum as a light source for miniaturized endoscopes.

PubMed

Lu, M K; Lin, H Y; Hsieh, C C; Kao, F J

2016-09-01

In this work, we have successfully implemented supercontinuum based illumination through single fiber coupling. The integration of a single fiber illumination with a miniature CMOS sensor forms a very slim and powerful camera module for endoscopic imaging. A set of tests and in vivo animal experiments are conducted accordingly to characterize the corresponding illuminance, spectral profile, intensity distribution, and image quality. The key illumination parameters of the supercontinuum, including color rendering index (CRI: 72%~97%) and correlated color temperature (CCT: 3,100K~5,200K), are modified with external filters and compared with those from a LED light source (CRI~76% & CCT~6,500K). The very high spatial coherence of the supercontinuum allows high luminosity conduction through a single multimode fiber (core size~400μm), whose distal end tip is attached with a diffussion tip to broaden the solid angle of illumination (from less than 10° to more than 80°).

Spectrally resolved, broadband frequency response characterization of photodetectors using continuous-wave supercontinuum sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choudhury, Vishal; Prakash, Roopa; Nagarjun, K. P.; Supradeepa, V. R.

2018-02-01

A simple and powerful method using continuous wave supercontinuum lasers is demonstrated to perform spectrally resolved, broadband frequency response characterization of photodetectors in the NIR Band. In contrast to existing techniques, this method allows for a simple system to achieve the goal, requiring just a standard continuous wave(CW) high-power fiber laser source and an RF spectrum analyzer. From our recent work, we summarize methods to easily convert any high-power fiber laser into a CW supercontinuum. These sources in the time domain exhibit interesting properties all the way down to the femtosecond time scale. This enables measurement of broadband frequency response of photodetectors while the wide optical spectrum of the supercontinuum can be spectrally filtered to obtain this information in a spectrally resolved fashion. The method involves looking at the RF spectrum of the output of a photodetector under test when incident with the supercontinuum. By using prior knowledge of the RF spectrum of the source, the frequency response can be calculated. We utilize two techniques for calibration of the source spectrum, one using a prior measurement and the other relying on a fitted model. Here, we characterize multiple photodetectors from 150MHz bandwidth to >20GHz bandwidth at multiple bands in the NIR region. We utilize a supercontinuum source spanning over 700nm bandwidth from 1300nm to 2000nm. For spectrally resolved measurement, we utilize multiple wavelength bands such as around 1400nm and 1600nm. Interesting behavior was observed in the frequency response of the photodetectors when comparing broadband spectral excitation versus narrower band excitation.

Optical rogue waves and stimulated supercontinuum generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solli, Daniel R.; Ropers, Claus; Jalali, Bahram

2010-06-01

Nonlinear action is known for its ability to create unusual phenomena and unexpected events. Optical rogue waves-freak pulses of broadband light arising in nonlinear fiber-testify to the fact that optical nonlinearities are no less capable of generating anomalous events than those in other physical contexts. In this paper, we will review our work on optical rogue waves, an ultrafast phenomenon counterpart to the freak ocean waves known to roam the open oceans. We will discuss the experimental observation of these rare events in real time and the measurement of their heavytailed statistical properties-a probabilistic form known to appear in a wide variety of other complex systems from financial markets to genetics. The nonlinear Schrödinger equation predicts the existence of optical rogue waves, offering a means to study their origins with simulations. We will also discuss the type of initial conditions behind optical rogue waves. Because a subtle but specific fluctuation leads to extreme waves, the rogue wave instability can be harnessed to produce these events on demand. By exploiting this property, it is possible to produce a new type of optical switch as well as a supercontinuum source that operates in the long pulse regime but still achieves a stable, coherent output.

Overview of selected seminal optical science and photonics processes in nature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alfano, Robert R.

2016-03-01

This presentation gives an overview on some of seminal research in optical science, condensed matter physics, biophysics, biology, biomedical, nonlinear optics, and structure light propagation and interactions at CCNY and GTE Labs over past 46 years. The advent of ultrafast laser pulses with picosecond and femtosecond pulses and optical spectroscopy (label free native fluorescence and Raman) has led to unravel some of mysteries in the molecular world leading to breakthroughs in various areas of science and medicine. The following topics are discussed: white light continuum called now Supercontinuum (SC); first direct measurement of Optical Phonon's lifetimes; first observation of creation of daughter vibrations in time from excited mother vibration in liquids; first direct measurement of creation and decay of Spin Angular Momentum of electrons in GaAs where picosecond Circular Polarized Light carrying Optical Spin Angular Momentum is generated; Pulse break up into ballistic, snake and diffusive components in scattering media such as um beads and tissues; and use of optical spectroscopy for first cancer detection in label free tissues. Most recently, advances in Biomedical Optics showed that Tryptophan as a key biomarker for aggressive cancers; there are three new optical windows with the Golden window #3 the best for penetrating tissue from 1600 nm to 1800 nm; Complex light with OAM offers potential deeper tissue penetration and Resonance Raman excited using magic 532 nm wavelength in tissues.

Multiphoton imaging with a nanosecond supercontinuum source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lefort, Claire; O'Connor, Rodney P.; Blanquet, Véronique; Baraige, Fabienne; Tombelaine, Vincent; Lévêque, Philippe; Couderc, Vincent; Leproux, Philippe

2016-03-01

Multiphoton microscopy is a well-established technique for biological imaging of several kinds of targets. It is classically based on multiphoton processes allowing two means of contrast simultaneously: two-photon fluorescence (TPF) and second harmonic generation (SHG). Today, the quasi exclusive laser technology used in that aim is femtosecond titanium sapphire (Ti: Sa) laser. We experimentally demonstrate that a nanosecond supercontinuum laser source (STM-250-VIS-IR-custom, Leukos, France; 1 ns, 600-2400 nm, 250 kHz, 1 W) allows to obtain the same kind of image quality in the case of both TPF and SHG, since it is properly filtered. The first set of images concerns the muscle of a mouse. It highlights the simultaneous detection of TPF and SHG. TPF is obtained thanks to the labelling of alpha-actinin with Alexa Fluor® 546 by immunochemistry. SHG is created from the non-centrosymmetric organization of myosin. As expected, discs of actin and myosin are superimposed alternatively. The resulting images are compared with those obtained from a standard femtosecond Ti: Sa source. The physical parameters of the supercontinuum are discussed. Finally, all the interest of using an ultra-broadband source is presented with images obtained in vivo on the brain of a mouse where tumor cells labeled with eGFP are grafted. Texas Red® conjugating Dextran is injected into the blood vessels network. Thus, two fluorophores having absorption wavelengths separated by 80 nm are imaged simultaneously with a single laser source.

Versatile silicon-waveguide supercontinuum for coherent mid-infrared spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nader, Nima; Maser, Daniel L.; Cruz, Flavio C.; Kowligy, Abijith; Timmers, Henry; Chiles, Jeff; Fredrick, Connor; Westly, Daron A.; Nam, Sae Woo; Mirin, Richard P.; Shainline, Jeffrey M.; Diddams, Scott

2018-03-01

Laser frequency combs, with their unique combination of precisely defined spectral lines and broad bandwidth, are a powerful tool for basic and applied spectroscopy. Here, we report offset-free, mid-infrared frequency combs and dual-comb spectroscopy through supercontinuum generation in silicon-on-sapphire waveguides. We leverage robust fabrication and geometrical dispersion engineering of nanophotonic waveguides for multi-band, coherent frequency combs spanning 70 THz in the mid-infrared (2.5 μm-6.2 μm). Precise waveguide fabrication provides significant spectral broadening with engineered spectra targeted at specific mid-infrared bands. We characterize the relative-intensity-noise of different bands and show that the measured levels do not pose any limitation for spectroscopy applications. Additionally, we use the fabricated photonic devices to demonstrate dual-comb spectroscopy of a carbonyl sulfide gas sample at 5 μm. This work forms the technological basis for applications such as point sensors for fundamental spectroscopy, atmospheric chemistry, trace and hazardous gas detection, and biological microscopy.

Characterization of edge effects in precision low-coherence interferometry using broadband light sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taudt, Ch.; Baselt, T.; Nelsen, B.; Assmann, H.; Greiner, A.; Koch, E.; Hartmann, P.

2017-06-01

Within this work an alternative approach to precision surface profilometry based on a low-coherence interferometer is presented. Special emphasis is placed on the characterization of edge effects, which influence the measurement result on sharp edges and steep slopes. In contrast to other works, this examination focuses on the comparison of very broadband light sources such as a supercontinuum white-light source (SC; 380 - 1100 nm) and a laser-driven plasma light source (LDP; 200 - 1100 nm) and their influence on the formation of these effects. The interferometer is equipped with one of these broadband light sources and a defined dispersion over a given spectral range. The spectral width of the light sources in combination with the dispersive element defines the possible measurement range and resolution. Instead of detecting the signals only in a one-dimensional manner, an imaging spectrometer on the basis of a high resolution CMOS-camera is set-up. Through the introduction of a defined dispersion, a controlled phase variation in the spectral domain is created. This phase variation is dependent on the optical path difference between both arms and can therefore be used as a measure for the height of a structure which is present in one arm. The results of measurements on a 100 nm height standard with both selected light sources have been compared. Under consideration of the coherence length of both light sources of 1.58 μm for the SC source and 1.81 m for the LDP source differences could be recorded. Especially at sharp edges, the LDP light source could record height changes with slopes twice as steep as the SC source. Furthermore, it became obvious, that measurements with the SC source tend to show edge effects like batwings due to diffraction. Additional effects on the measured roughness and the flatness of the profile were investigated and discussed.

1-J white-light continuum from 100-TW laser pulses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Petit, Yannick; Henin, Stefano; Bejot, Pierre

2011-01-15

We experimentally measured the supercontinuum generation using 3-J, 30-fs laser pulses and measured white-light generation at the level of 1 J. Such high energy is allowed by a strong contribution to the continuum by the photon bath, as compared to the self-guided filaments. This contribution due to the recently observed congestion of the filament number density in the beam profile at very high intensity also results in a wider broadening for positively chirped pulses rather than for negatively chirped ones, similar to broadening in hollow-core fibers.

Fiber based infrared lasers and their applications in medicine, spectroscopy and metrology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexander, Vinay Varkey

In my thesis, I have demonstrated the development of fiber based infrared lasers and devices for applications in medicine, spectroscopy and metrology. One of the key accomplishments presented in this thesis for medical applications is the demonstration of a focused infrared laser to perform renal denervation both in vivo and in vitro. Hypertension is a significant health hazard in the US and throughout the world, and the laser based renal denervation procedure may be a potential treatment for resistant hypertension. Compared to current treatment modalities, lasers may be able to perform treatments with lesser collateral tissue damage and quicker treatment times helping to reduce patient discomfort and pain. An additional medical application demonstrated in this thesis is the use of infrared fiber lasers to damage sebaceous glands in human skin as a potential treatment for acne. Another significant work presented in this thesis is a field trial performed at the Wright Patterson Air Force Base using a Short Wave Infrared (SWIR) Supercontinuum (SC) laser as an active illumination source for long distance reflectance measurements. In this case, an SC laser developed as part of this thesis is kept on a 12 story tower and propagated through the atmosphere to a target kept 1.6 km away and used to perform spectroscopy measurements. In the future this technology may permit 24/7 surveillance based on looking for the spectral signatures of materials. Beyond applications in defense, this technology may have far reaching commercial applications as well, including areas such as oil and natural resources exploration. Beyond these major contributions to the state-of-the-art, this thesis also describes other significant studies such as power scalability of SWIR SC sources and non-invasive measurement of surface roughness.

Simultaneous distance measurement at multiple wavelengths using the intermode beats from a femtosecond laser coherent supercontinuum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salido-Monzú, David; Wieser, Andreas

2018-04-01

The intermode beats generated by direct detection of a mode-locked femtosecond laser represent inherent high-quality and high-frequency modulations suitable for electro-optical distance measurement (EDM). This approach has already been demonstrated as a robust alternative to standard long-distance EDM techniques. However, we extend this idea to intermode beating of a wideband source obtained by spectral broadening of a femtosecond laser. We aim at establishing a technological basis for accurate and flexible multiwavelength distance measurement. Results are presented from experiments using beat notes at 1 GHz generated by two bandpass-filtered regions from both extremes of a coherent supercontinuum ranging from 550 to 1050 nm. The displacement measurements performed simultaneously on both colors on a short-distance setup show that noise and coherence of the wideband laser are adequate for achieving accuracies of about 0.01 mm on each channel with a potential improvement by accessing higher beat notes. Pointing and power instabilities have been identified as dominant sources of systematic deviations. Nevertheless, the results demonstrate the basic feasibility of the proposed technique. We consider this a promising starting point for the further development of multiwavelength EDM enabling increased accuracy over long distances through dispersion-based integral refractivity compensation and for remote surface material probing along with distance measurement in laser scanning.

Tunable, stable source of femtosecond pulses near 2 μm via supercontinuum of an Erbium mode-locked laser.

PubMed

Klose, Andrew; Ycas, Gabriel; Maser, Daniel L; Diddams, Scott A

2014-11-17

A source of ultrashort pulses of light in the 2 μm region was constructed using supercontinuum broadening from an erbium mode-locked laser. The output spectrum spanned 1000 nm to 2200 nm with an average power of 250 mW. A pulse width of 39 fs for part of the spectrum in the 2000 nm region, corresponding to less than six optical cycles, was achieved. A heterodyne measurement of the free-running mode-locked laser with a narrow-linewidth continuous wave laser resulted in a near shot noise-limited beat note with a signal-to-noise ratio of 45 dB in a 10 kHz resolution bandwidth. The relative intensity noise of the broadband system was investigated over the entire supercontinuum, and the integrated relative intensity noise of the 2000 nm portion of the spectrum was 1.7 × 10(-3). The long-term stability of the system was characterized, and intensity fluctuations in the spectrum were found to be highly correlated throughout the supercontinuum. Spectroscopic limitations due to the laser noise characteristics are discussed.

350 nm Broadband Supercontinuum Generation Using Dispersion Engineered Near Zero Ultraflat Square-Lattice PCF around 1.55 μm and Fabrication Tolerance Analysis

PubMed Central

Roy Chaudhuri, Partha

2014-01-01

In this work, a new design of ultraflat dispersion PCF based on square-lattice geometry with all uniform air holes towards broadband smooth SCG around the C-band of wavelength has been presented. The air hole of the inner ring was infiltrated with liquid of certain refractive indices. Numerical investigations establish a near zero ultraflattened dispersion of 0 ± 0.78 ps/nm/km in a wavelength range of 1496 nm to 2174 nm (678 nm bandwidth) covering most of the communications bands with the first zero dispersion wavelength around 1.54 μm. With the optimized ultraflattened fiber, we have achieved a broadband SC spectrum with FWHM of 350 nm with the central wavelength of 1550 nm with less than a meter long of the fiber by using a picosecond pulse laser. We have also analyzed the sensitivity of the optimized dispersion design by small variations from the optimum value of the geometrical structural parameters. Our investigations establish that for a negative change of PCF parameters, the profile retains the smooth and flat SCG spectra; however, for a positive change, the smooth and a flat spectrum is lost. The new design of the fiber will be capable of covering huge diverse field of DWDM sources, spectroscopy, meteorology, optical coherence tomography, and optical sensing. PMID:27355018

Supercontinuum Generation in an on-Chip Silica Waveguide

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-02-15

eration ( SCG ) due to the feasibility of controlling the dispersion and reducing the mode area by engineering its air-hole geometry [2–4]. Interest in... SCG has been driven by applications including frequency combs [5,6], optical coherence tomography [7], and wavelength divi- sion multiplexing [8,9...In the past few years, SCG has also been investigated in several chip-based systems, in- cluding silicon photonic nanowires [10–12], chalcogenide

Use of a white light supercontinuum laser for confocal interference-reflection microscopy

PubMed Central

Chiu, L-D; Su, L; Reichelt, S; Amos, WB

2012-01-01

Shortly after its development, the white light supercontinuum laser was applied to confocal scanning microscopy as a more versatile substitute for the multiple monochromatic lasers normally used for the excitation of fluorescence. This light source is now available coupled to commercial confocal fluorescence microscopes. We have evaluated a supercontinuum laser as a source for a different purpose: confocal interferometric imaging of living cells and artificial models by interference reflection. We used light in the range 460–700 nm where this source provides a reasonably flat spectrum, and obtained images free from fringe artefacts caused by the longer coherence length of conventional lasers. We have also obtained images of cytoskeletal detail that is difficult to see with a monochromatic laser. PMID:22432542

Modeling, development, and testing of a shortwave infrared supercontinuum laser source for use in active hyperspectral imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meola, Joseph; Absi, Anthony; Leonard, James D.; Ifarraguerri, Agustin I.; Islam, Mohammed N.; Alexander, Vinay V.; Zadnik, Jerome A.

2013-05-01

A fundamental limitation of current visible through shortwave infrared hyperspectral imaging systems is the dependence on solar illumination. This reliance limits the operability of such systems to small windows during which the sun provides enough solar radiation to achieve adequate signal levels. Similarly, nighttime collection is infeasible. This work discusses the development and testing of a high-powered super-continuum laser for potential use as an on-board illumination source coupled with a hyperspectral receiver to allow for day/night operability. A 5-watt shortwave infrared supercontinuum laser was developed, characterized in the lab, and tower-tested along a 1.6km slant path to demonstrate propagation capability as a spectral light source.

Octave spanning supercontinuum in an As₂S₃ taper using ultralow pump pulse energy.

PubMed

Hudson, Darren D; Dekker, Stephen A; Mägi, Eric C; Judge, Alexander C; Jackson, Stuart D; Li, Enbang; Sanghera, J S; Shaw, L B; Aggarwal, I D; Eggleton, Benjamin J

2011-04-01

An octave spanning spectrum is generated in an As₂S₃ taper via 77 pJ pulses from an ultrafast fiber laser. Using a previously developed tapering method, we construct a 1.3 μm taper that has a zero-dispersion wavelength around 1.4 μm. The low two-photon absorption of sulfide-based chalcogenide fiber allows for higher input powers than previous efforts in selenium-based chalcogenide tapered fibers. This higher power handling capability combined with input pulse chirp compensation allows an octave spanning spectrum to be generated directly from the taper using the unamplified laser output.

Tapered photonic crystal fiber for simplified Yb:fiber laser frequency comb with low pulse energy and robust f ceo singals.

PubMed

Jiang, Tongxiao; Wang, Aimin; Wang, Guizhong; Zhang, Wei; Niu, Fuzeng; Li, Chen; Zhang, Zhigang

2014-01-27

A tapered silica photonic crystal fiber was designed and fabricated to generate more than one octave spanning supercontinuum (from 550 nm to 1400 nm at -30 dB level), by an input pulse of 40 fs 200 pJ directly from an Yb:fiber ring laser. The low pulse energy spectrum broadening are favorable to generate the high contrast f ceo signals with low noise. The f ceo signal with 40 dB signal-to-noise ratio was detected, which helps to build a compact real-world frequency comb.

SPECIAL ISSUE DEVOTED TO THE 80TH BIRTHDAY OF S.A. AKHMANOV: Discrete conical emission rings observed upon filamentation of a femtosecond laser pulse in quartz

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dormidonov, A. E.; Kandidov, V. P.; Kompanets, V. O.; Chekalin, Sergei V.

2009-07-01

Supercontinuum emission observed upon filamentation of transform-limited collimated femtosecond laser pulses in a transparent condensed medium (fused KU-1 quartz) is studied experimentally and numerically. The splitting of diverging conical supercontinuum emission into discrete rings was observed with increasing the pulse energy.

Optimization of reaction conditions for the radiolabeling of DOTA and DOTA-peptide with (44m/44)Sc and experimental evidence of the feasibility of an in vivo PET generator.

PubMed

Huclier-Markai, S; Kerdjoudj, R; Alliot, C; Bonraisin, A C; Michel, N; Haddad, F; Barbet, J

2014-05-01

Among the number of generator systems providing radionuclides with decay parameters promising for imaging and treatment applications, there is the (44)Ti (T1/2=60 years)/(44)Sc (T1/2=3.97 h) generator. This generator provides a longer-lived daughter for extended PET/CT measurements compared to the chemically similar system (68)Ge/(68)Ga. Scandium also exists as (47)Sc, a potential therapeutic radionuclide. It is possible to produce (44)Sc in a cyclotron using, for example, the (44)Ca (d, n) (44)Sc nuclear reaction. In that case, the isomeric state (44 m)Sc (T1/2=58.6h) is co-produced and may be used as an in vivo(44 m)Sc/(44)Sc generator. The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of this in vivo(44 m)Sc/(44)Sc generator and to demonstrate that the daughter radionuclide stays inside the chelator after decay of the parent radionuclide. Indeed, the physico-chemical process occurring after the primary radioactive decay (EC, IT, Auger electron …) has prevented in many cases the use of in-vivo generator, because of the post-effect as described in the literature. The DOTA macrocyclic ligand forms stable complexes with many cations and has been shown to be the most suitable chelating moiety for scandium. Initially, the radiolabeling of DOTA and a DOTA-peptide (DOTATATE) with Sc was performed and optimized as a function of time, pH, metal-to-ligand ratio and temperature. Next, the physico-chemical processes that could occur after the decay (post-effect) were studied. (44 m)Sc(III)-labeled DOTA-peptide was quantitatively adsorbed on a solid phase matrix through a hydrophobic interaction. Elutions were then performed at regular time intervals using a DTPA solution at various concentrations. Finally, the radiolabelled complex stability was studied in serum. Radiolabeling yields ranged from 90% to 99% for metal-to-ligand ratio ranging from 1:10 to 1:500 for DOTA or DOTATATE respectively. The optimum physico-chemical parameters were pH=4-6, t=20 min, T=70°C. Then, the (44 m)Sc-DOTATATE complex, radiolabeled at 98%, was adsorbed through a hydrophobic interaction to a solid phase. Unlabeled scandium was completely eluted from the column whereas the Sc-DOTATATE complex was 100% retained. The release of (44)Sc from the complex due to decay was less than 1% over 2 periods of (44 m)Sc, independent of the DTPA concentration used for elution. (44 m)Sc/(44)Sc-DOTATATE was stable in serum over 72 h. The results indicate that the decay of (44 m)Sc to (44)Sc does not affect the integrity of the radiolabeled compound. Thus the (44 m)Sc/(44)Sc generator is chemically valid and stable in serum. It could be used for PET imaging as an in-vivo generator increasing the life time of the scandium and allowing the use of antibody as labelled compound. Further in-vivo biological evaluations should complete this work. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

In-situ Tapering of Chalcogenide Fiber for Mid-infrared Supercontinuum Generation

PubMed Central

Rudy, Charles W.; Marandi, Alireza; Vodopyanov, Konstantin L.; Byer, Robert L.

2013-01-01

Supercontinuum generation (SCG) in a tapered chalcogenide fiber is desirable for broadening mid-infrared (or mid-IR, roughly the 2-20 μm wavelength range) frequency combs1, 2 for applications such as molecular fingerprinting, 3 trace gas detection, 4 laser-driven particle acceleration, 5 and x-ray production via high harmonic generation. 6 Achieving efficient SCG in a tapered optical fiber requires precise control of the group velocity dispersion (GVD) and the temporal properties of the optical pulses at the beginning of the fiber, 7 which depend strongly on the geometry of the taper. 8 Due to variations in the tapering setup and procedure for successive SCG experiments-such as fiber length, tapering environment temperature, or power coupled into the fiber, in-situ spectral monitoring of the SCG is necessary to optimize the output spectrum for a single experiment. In-situ fiber tapering for SCG consists of coupling the pump source through the fiber to be tapered to a spectral measurement device. The fiber is then tapered while the spectral measurement signal is observed in real-time. When the signal reaches its peak, the tapering is stopped. The in-situ tapering procedure allows for generation of a stable, octave-spanning, mid-IR frequency comb from the sub harmonic of a commercially available near-IR frequency comb. 9 This method lowers cost due to the reduction in time and materials required to fabricate an optimal taper with a waist length of only 2 mm. The in-situ tapering technique can be extended to optimizing microstructured optical fiber (MOF) for SCG10 or tuning of the passband of MOFs, 11 optimizing tapered fiber pairs for fused fiber couplers12 and wavelength division multiplexers (WDMs), 13 or modifying dispersion compensation for compression or stretching of optical pulses.14-16 PMID:23748947

Supercontinuum Fourier transform spectrometry with balanced detection on a single photodiode

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goncharov, Vasily; Hall, Gregory

Here, we have developed phase-sensitive signal detection and processing algorithms for Fourier transform spectrometers fitted with supercontinuum sources for applications requiring ultimate sensitivity. Similar to well-established approach of source noise cancellation through balanced detection of monochromatic light, our method is capable of reducing the relative intensity noise of polychromatic light by 40 dB. Unlike conventional balanced detection, which relies on differential absorption measured with a well matched pair of photo-detectors, our algorithm utilizes phase-sensitive differential detection on a single photodiode and is capable of the real-time correction for instabilities in supercontinuum spectral structure over a broad range of wavelengths. Inmore » the resulting method is universal in terms of applicable wavelengths and compatible with commercial spectrometers. We present a proof-of-principle experimental« less

Supercontinuum Fourier transform spectrometry with balanced detection on a single photodiode

DOE PAGES

Goncharov, Vasily; Hall, Gregory

2016-08-25

Here, we have developed phase-sensitive signal detection and processing algorithms for Fourier transform spectrometers fitted with supercontinuum sources for applications requiring ultimate sensitivity. Similar to well-established approach of source noise cancellation through balanced detection of monochromatic light, our method is capable of reducing the relative intensity noise of polychromatic light by 40 dB. Unlike conventional balanced detection, which relies on differential absorption measured with a well matched pair of photo-detectors, our algorithm utilizes phase-sensitive differential detection on a single photodiode and is capable of the real-time correction for instabilities in supercontinuum spectral structure over a broad range of wavelengths. Inmore » the resulting method is universal in terms of applicable wavelengths and compatible with commercial spectrometers. We present a proof-of-principle experimental« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kulchin, Yu N; Mayor, A Yu; Proschenko, D Yu

Specific features of modification of a new photorecording material based on PMMA doped with 2,2-difluoro-4-(9-antracyl)-6-methyl-1,3,2-dioxaborine are studied. The recording of the filament distribution in the studied material occurs at the expense of two-photon photochemical processes. The three-dimensional modification of the material is achieved in the filamentation regime without supercontinuum generation. It is possible to order the volume structure by preliminary photo-modification of the near-surface layer of the material. (extreme light fields and their applications)

Akhmediev Breather dynamics and the nonlinear modulation instability spectrum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Genty, Go"ry; Dias, Frederic; Kibler, Bertrand; Akhmediev, Nail; Dudley, John M.

2010-06-01

We consider various aspects of supercontinuum generation in the quasi-CW regime through analysis, numerical simulations and experiments. A new interpretation of certain features of the developing spectrum in terms of localized periodic structures known as "Akhmediev Breathers" is proposed. We also briefly consider the role of breather collisions and turbulence in the presence of higher order dispersion and show that they lead to the formation of very large amplitude localized structures that may be analogous to the infamous oceanic rogue waves.

Deuterated silicon nitride photonic devices for broadband optical frequency comb generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiles, Jeff; Nader, Nima; Hickstein, Daniel D.; Yu, Su Peng; Briles, Travis Crain; Carlson, David; Jung, Hojoong; Shainline, Jeffrey M.; Diddams, Scott; Papp, Scott B.; Nam, Sae Woo; Mirin, Richard P.

2018-04-01

We report and characterize low-temperature, plasma-deposited deuterated silicon nitride thin films for nonlinear integrated photonics. With a peak processing temperature less than 300$^\\circ$C, it is back-end compatible with pre-processed CMOS substrates. We achieve microresonators with a quality factor of up to $1.6\\times 10^6 $ at 1552 nm, and $>1.2\\times 10^6$ throughout $\\lambda$ = 1510 -- 1600 nm, without annealing or stress management. We then demonstrate the immediate utility of this platform in nonlinear photonics by generating a 1 THz free spectral range, 900-nm-bandwidth modulation-instability microresonator Kerr comb and octave-spanning, supercontinuum-broadened spectra.

Polarization gating of high harmonic generation in the water window

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Jie; Ren, Xiaoming; Yin, Yanchun

2016-06-06

We implement the polarization gating (PG) technique with a two-cycle, 1.7 μm driving field to generate an attosecond supercontinuum extending to the water window spectral region. The ellipticity dependence of the high harmonic yield over a photon energy range much broader than previous work is measured and compared with a semi-classical model. When PG is applied, the carrier-envelope phase (CEP) is swept to study its influence on the continuum generation. PG with one-cycle (5.7 fs) and two-cycle (11.3 fs) delay are tested, and both give continuous spectra spanning from 50 to 450 eV under certain CEP values, strongly indicating the generation ofmore » isolated attosecond pulses in the water window region.« less

Cyclotron production of high purity (44m,44)Sc with deuterons from (44)CaCO3 targets.

PubMed

Alliot, C; Kerdjoudj, R; Michel, N; Haddad, F; Huclier-Markai, S

2015-06-01

Due to its longer half-life, (44)Sc (T1/2 = 3.97 h) as a positron emitter can be an interesting alternative to (68)Ga (T1/2 = 67.71 min). It has been already proposed as a PET radionuclide for scouting bone disease and is already available as a (44)Ti/(44)Sc generator. (44)Sc has an isomeric state, (44 m)Sc (T1/2 = 58.6 h), which can be co-produced with (44)Sc and that has been proved to be considered as an in-vivo PET generator (44 m)Sc/(44)Sc. This work presents the production route of (44 m)Sc/(44)Sc generator from (44)Ca(d,2n), its extraction/purification process and the evaluation of its performances. Irradiation was performed in a low activity target station using a deuteron beam of 16 MeV, which favors the number of (44 m)Sc atoms produced simultaneously to (44)Sc. Typical irradiation conditions were 60 min at 0.2 μA producing 44 MBq of (44)Sc with a (44)Sc/(44 m)Sc activity ratio of 50 at end of irradiation. Separations of the radionuclides were performed by means of cation exchange chromatography using a DGA® resin (Triskem). Then, the developed process was applied with bigger targets, and could be used for preclinical studies. The extraction/purification process leads to a radionucleidic purity higher than 99.99% ((43)Sc, (46)Sc, (48)Sc < DL). (44 m)Sc/(44)Sc labeling towards DOTA moiety was performed in order to get an evaluation of the specific activities that could be reached with regard to all metallic impurities from the resulting source. Reaction parameters of radiolabeling were optimized, reaching yields over 95%, and leading to a specific activity of about 10-20 MBq/nmol for DOTA. A recycling process for the enriched (44)Ca target was developed and optimized. The quality of the final batch with regard to radionucleidic purity, specific activity and metal impurities allowed a right away use for further radiopharmaceutical evaluation. This radionucleidic pair of (44 m)Sc/(44)Sc offers a quite interesting PET radionuclide for being further evaluated as an in-vivo generator. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

White-Light Supercontinuum Laser-Based Multiple Wavelength Excitation for TCSPC-FLIM of Cutaneous Nanocarrier Uptake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Volz, Pierre; Brodwolf, Robert; Zoschke, Christian; Haag, Rainer; Schäfer-Korting, Monika; Alexiev, Ulrike

2018-05-01

We report here on a custom-built time-correlated single photon-counting (TCSPC)-based fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) setup with a continuously tunable white-light supercontinuum laser combined with acousto-optical tunable filters (AOTF) as an excitation source for simultaneous excitation of multiple spectrally separated fluorophores. We characterized the wavelength dependence of the white-light supercontinuum laser pulse properties and demonstrated the performance of the FLIM setup, aiming to show the experimental setup in depth together with a biomedical application. We herein summarize the physical-technical parameters as well as our approach to map the skin uptake of nanocarriers using FLIM with a resolution compared to spectroscopy. As an example, we focus on the penetration study of indocarbocyanine-labeled dendritic core-multishell nanocarriers (CMS-ICC) into reconstructed human epidermis. Unique fluorescence lifetime signatures of indocarbocyanine-labeled nanocarriers indicate nanocarrier-tissue interactions within reconstructed human epidermis, bringing FLIM close to spectroscopic analysis.

A tunable single-monochromator Raman system based on the supercontinuum laser and tunable filters for resonant Raman profile measurements.

PubMed

Liu, X-L; Liu, H-N; Tan, P-H

2017-08-01

Resonant Raman spectroscopy requires that the wavelength of the laser used is close to that of an electronic transition. A tunable laser source and a triple spectrometer are usually necessary for resonant Raman profile measurements. However, such a system is complex with low signal throughput, which limits its wide application by scientific community. Here, a tunable micro-Raman spectroscopy system based on the supercontinuum laser, transmission grating, tunable filters, and single-stage spectrometer is introduced to measure the resonant Raman profile. The supercontinuum laser in combination with transmission grating makes a tunable excitation source with a bandwidth of sub-nanometer. Such a system exhibits continuous excitation tunability and high signal throughput. Its good performance and flexible tunability are verified by resonant Raman profile measurement of twisted bilayer graphene, which demonstrates its potential application prospect for resonant Raman spectroscopy.

Ultra-high-speed optical coherence tomography with a stretched pulse supercontinuum source.

PubMed

Moon, Sucbei; Kim, Dug Young

2006-11-27

We introduce a new high-speed Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) scheme based on a stretched pulse supercontinuum source. A wide-band short pulse of a supercontinuum source of which output spectrum spanned a wavelength range from 1,200 nm to 1,550 nm was stretched to a long pulse of 70-ns duration by using a dispersive fiber due to the group-velocity dispersion, and it was used directly as frequency-swept light for FD-OCT. The OCT spectral interferogram was acquired in the time domain and converted into the spectral domain by the pre-calibrated time-to-wavelength relation. Using this stretched-pulse OCT (SP-OCT) scheme, we have demonstrated an ultrahigh-speed axial-line scanning rate of 5 MHz. The axial resolution of 8 microm was achieved without re-calibration of the sweep characteristic owing to the passive nature of the frequency-sweeping mechanism.

Frequency domain tailoring for intra-pulse frequency mixing.

PubMed

Ernotte, G; Lassonde, P; Légaré, F; Schmidt, B E

2016-10-17

Generating mid infrared (MIR) pulses by difference frequency generation (DFG) is often a trade-off between the maximum stability given by all-inline intra-pulse arrangements and the independent control of pulse parameters with inter-pulse pump-probe like scenarios. We propose a coalescence between both opposing approaches by realizing an all-inline inter-pulse DFG scheme employing a 4-f setup. This allows independent manipulation of the amplitude, delay and polarization of the two corresponding spectral side bands of a supercontinuum source while maintaining 20 attoseconds jitter without any feedback stabilization. After filamentation in air, the broadened Ti:Sa spectrum is tailored in a 4-f setup to generate tunable MIR pulses. In this manner, 2 µm, 4.8 µJ, 26.5 fs and carrier-envelope-phase (CEP) stabilized pulses are generated in a single DFG stage.

Mid-infrared frequency comb generation via cascaded quadratic nonlinearities in quasi-phase-matched waveguides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kowligy, Abijith S.; Lind, Alex; Hickstein, Daniel D.; Carlson, David R.; Timmers, Henry; Nader, Nima; Cruz, Flavio C.; Ycas, Gabriel; Papp, Scott B.; Diddams, Scott A.

2018-04-01

We experimentally demonstrate a simple configuration for mid-infrared (MIR) frequency comb generation in quasi-phase-matched lithium niobate waveguides using the cascaded-$\\chi^{(2)}$ nonlinearity. With nanojoule-scale pulses from an Er:fiber laser, we observe octave-spanning supercontinuum in the near-infrared with dispersive-wave generation in the 2.5--3 $\\text{\\mu}$m region and intra-pulse difference-frequency generation in the 4--5 $\\text{\\mu}$m region. By engineering the quasi-phase-matched grating profiles, tunable, narrow-band MIR and broadband MIR spectra are both observed in this geometry. Finally, we perform numerical modeling using a nonlinear envelope equation, which shows good quantitative agreement with the experiment---and can be used to inform waveguide designs to tailor the MIR frequency combs. Our results identify a path to a simple single-branch approach to mid-infrared frequency comb generation in a compact platform using commercial Er:fiber technology.

Observation of sum-frequency-generation-induced cascaded four-wave mixing using two crossing femtosecond laser pulses in a 0.1 mm beta-barium-borate crystal.

PubMed

Liu, Weimin; Zhu, Liangdong; Fang, Chong

2012-09-15

We demonstrate the simultaneous generation of multicolor femtosecond laser pulses spanning the wavelength range from UV to near IR in a 0.1 mm Type I beta-barium borate crystal from 800 nm fundamental and weak IR super-continuum white light (SCWL) pulses. The multicolor broadband laser pulses observed are attributed to two concomitant cascaded four-wave mixing (CFWM) processes as corroborated by calculation: (1) directly from the two incident laser pulses; (2) by the sum-frequency generation (SFG) induced CFWM process (SFGFWM). The latter signal arises from the interaction between the frequency-doubled fundamental pulse (400 nm) and the SFG pulse generated in between the fundamental and IR-SCWL pulses. The versatility and simplicity of this spatially dispersed multicolor self-compressed laser pulse generation offer compact and attractive methods to conduct femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy and time-resolved multicolor spectroscopy.

Mid-infrared frequency comb generation via cascaded quadratic nonlinearities in quasi-phase-matched waveguides.

PubMed

Kowligy, Abijith S; Lind, Alex; Hickstein, Daniel D; Carlson, David R; Timmers, Henry; Nader, Nima; Cruz, Flavio C; Ycas, Gabriel; Papp, Scott B; Diddams, Scott A

2018-04-15

We experimentally demonstrate a simple configuration for mid-infrared (MIR) frequency comb generation in quasi-phase-matched lithium niobate waveguides using the cascaded-χ (2) nonlinearity. With nanojoule-scale pulses from an Er:fiber laser, we observe octave-spanning supercontinuum in the near-infrared with dispersive wave generation in the 2.5-3 μm region and intrapulse difference frequency generation in the 4-5 μm region. By engineering the quasi-phase-matched grating profiles, tunable, narrowband MIR and broadband MIR spectra are both observed in this geometry. Finally, we perform numerical modeling using a nonlinear envelope equation, which shows good quantitative agreement with the experiment-and can be used to inform waveguide designs to tailor the MIR frequency combs. Our results identify a path to a simple single-branch approach to mid-infrared frequency comb generation in a compact platform using commercial Er:fiber technology.

Theoretical study of high-order harmonic generation from the hydrogen molecular ion with a dichromatic spatially inhomogeneous field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Xiao-Hu; Wang, Yan-Jun; Miao, Xiang-Yang

2018-05-01

We theoretically investigate the enhancement of high-order harmonic generation by numerically solving the non-Born-Oppenheimer time-dependent Schrödinger equation from the hydrogen molecular ion in a dichromatic inhomogeneous laser field. An ultrabroad supercontinuum up to 300 orders spectral width is generated. It is found that not only the inhomogeneity, but also the dichromatic field contributes to the significant extension of the harmonic cutoff compared with a monochromatic inhomogeneous laser field. Meanwhile, the long quantum paths can be suppressed and short ones can be enhanced by selecting optimized inhomogeneous parameter β, intensity and carrier envelope phase of the dichromatic inhomogeneous laser field. Furthermore, by superposing a properly selected range of the harmonic spectrum in the continuum region, an isolated 29-as pulse is generated. Both the classical theory and quantum time-frequency analysis are adopted to explain the physical mechanism.

Amplified and persistent immune responses generated by single-cycle replicating adenovirus vaccines.

PubMed

Crosby, Catherine M; Nehete, Pramod; Sastry, K Jagannadha; Barry, Michael A

2015-01-01

Replication-competent adenoviral (RC-Ad) vectors generate exceptionally strong gene-based vaccine responses by amplifying the antigen transgenes they carry. While they are potent, they also risk causing adenovirus infections. More common replication-defective Ad (RD-Ad) vectors with deletions of E1 avoid this risk but do not replicate their transgene and generate markedly weaker vaccine responses. To amplify vaccine transgenes while avoiding production of infectious progeny viruses, we engineered "single-cycle" adenovirus (SC-Ad) vectors by deleting the gene for IIIa capsid cement protein of lower-seroprevalence adenovirus serotype 6. In mouse, human, hamster, and macaque cells, SC-Ad6 still replicated its genome but prevented genome packaging and virion maturation. When used for mucosal intranasal immunization of Syrian hamsters, both SC-Ad and RC-Ad expressed transgenes at levels hundreds of times higher than that of RD-Ad. Surprisingly, SC-Ad, but not RC-Ad, generated higher levels of transgene-specific antibody than RD-Ad, which notably climbed in serum and vaginal wash samples over 12 weeks after single mucosal immunization. When RD-Ad and SC-Ad were tested by single sublingual immunization in rhesus macaques, SC-Ad generated higher gamma interferon (IFN-γ) responses and higher transgene-specific serum antibody levels. These data suggest that SC-Ad vectors may have utility as mucosal vaccines. This work illustrates the utility of our recently developed single-cycle adenovirus (SC-Ad6) vector as a new vaccine platform. Replication-defective (RD-Ad6) vectors produce low levels of transgene protein, which leads to minimal antibody responses in vivo. This study shows that replicating SC-Ad6 produces higher levels of luciferase and induces higher levels of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-specific antibodies than RD in a permissive Syrian hamster model. Surprisingly, although a replication-competent (RC-Ad6) vector produces more luciferase than SC-Ad6, it does not elicit comparable levels of anti-GFP antibodies in permissive hamsters. When tested in the larger rhesus macaque model, SC-Ad6 induces higher transgene-specific antibody and T cell responses. Together, these data suggest that SC-Ad6 could be a more effective platform for developing vaccines against more relevant antigens. This could be especially beneficial for developing vaccines for pathogens for which traditional replication-defective adenovirus vectors have not been effective. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Electron path control of high-order harmonic generation by a spatially inhomogeneous field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohebbi, Masoud; Nazarpoor Malaei, Sakineh

2016-04-01

We theoretically investigate the control of high-order harmonics cut-off and as-pulse generation by a chirped laser field using a metallic bow tie-shaped nanostructure. The numerical results show that the trajectories of the electron wave packet are strongly modified, the short quantum path is enhanced, the long quantum path is suppressed and the low modulated spectrum of the harmonics can be remarkably extended. Our calculated results also show that, by confining electron motion, a broadband supercontinuum with the width of 1670 eV can be produced which directly generates an isolated 34 as-pulse without phase compensation. To explore the underlying mechanism responsible for the cut-off extension and the quantum path selection, we perform time-frequency analysis and a classical simulation based on the three-step model.

Whole life cycle of femtosecond ultraviolet filaments in water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jarnac, Amélie; Tamosauskas, Gintaras; Majus, Donatas; Houard, Aurélien; Mysyrowicz, André; Couairon, Arnaud; Dubietis, Audrius

2014-03-01

We present measurements fully characterizing the whole life cycle of femtosecond pulses undergoing filamentation in water at 400 nm. The complete pulse dynamics is monitored by means of a four-dimensional mapping technique for the intensity distribution I (x,y,z,t) during the nonlinear interaction. Measured events (focusing or defocusing cycles, pulse splitting and replenishment, supercontinuum generation, conical emission, nonlinear absorption peaks) are mutually connected.The filament evolution from laser energy deposition in water, which is of paramount importance for a wide range of technological and medical applications, is interpreted in light of simulation results.

Fabrication and characterization of on-chip optical nonlinear chalcogenide nanofiber devices.

PubMed

Zhang, Qiming; Li, Ming; Hao, Qiang; Deng, Dinghuan; Zhou, Hui; Zeng, Heping; Zhan, Li; Wu, Xiang; Liu, Liying; Xu, Lei

2010-11-15

Chalcogenide (As(2)S(3)) nanofibers as narrow as 200 nm in diameter are drawn by the fiber pulling method, are successfully embedded in SU8 polymer, and form on-chip waveguides and high-Q microknot resonators (Q = 3.9 × 10(4)) with smooth cleaved end faces. Resonance tuning of resonators is realized by localized laser irradiation. Strong supercontinuum generation with a bandwidth of 500 nm is achieved in a 7-cm-long on-chip chalcogenide waveguide. Our result provides a method for the development of compact, high-optical-quality, and robust photonic devices.

Quasi-Phasematched Nonlinear Optics: Materials and Devices

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-02-29

effects all contribute, and that the group velocity dispersion in the vicinity of the pump wavelength and are important factors influencing the breadth...for the physics underlying χ(2) SC generation, so the work was purely empirical, but still resulted in octave-class SC and envelop locking with...specific goals, e.g soliton self-frequency shift, SC generation, etc. emerged, and could then be optimized with the numerical simulation tool

The QBO as Potential Amplifier and Conduit to Lower Altitudes of Solar Cycle Influence?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mayr, Hans G.; Mengel, John G.; Porter, Hayden S.

2005-01-01

The solar cycle (SC) effect in the lower atmosphere has been linked observationally to the Quasi-biennial Oscillation (QBO), which is generated primarily by small-scale gravity waves (GW). Following up on a 2D study with our Numerical Spectral Model (NSM), we discuss here a 3D study in which we simulated the QBO under the influence of the SC. For a SC period of 10 years, the relative amplitude of radiative forcing is taken to vary exponentially with height, i.e., 0.2% at the surface, 2% at 50 km, 20% at 100 km and above. Applying spectral analysis to filter out and identify the SC signature, this model produces a relatively large modulation in the QBO of the lower stratospheric circulation, which is in qualitative agreement with the results obtained by Salby and Callaghan (2000) who analyzed zonal wind observations covering more than 40 years. The modeled SC modulation of the QBO extends to high latitudes where it produces temperature variations of about 1 K in the troposphere below 10 km. We report that the SC also generates in the model a hemispherically symmetric Equatorial Annual Oscillation (EAO, with 12-month period) that is largely confined to low latitudes. Under the influence of the GWs, the SC modulated EA0 propagates down into the lower stratosphere like the QBO. As is the case for the QBO, the energy of this EA0 is partially redistributed by the meridional circulation and planetary waves, presumably, to generate measurable SC signatures in the tropospheric temperature of the polar regions, which may be related to the so called Arctic Oscillation (Thompson and Wallace, 1998). The larger SC influence at higher altitudes is apparently transferred to the lower and denser regions of the atmosphere by tapping the momentum from the upward propagating GWs that drive the oscillations. The SC modulation of the QBO period could prove to be very effective in this process, as our earlier 2D study indicated. Further studies are needed, (1) to make sure that the SC effects are real and the numerical results are robust, and (2) to explore more fully the mechanism(s) that may conspire to amplify the SC effect. Quasi-decadal oscillations, generated internally by the QBO interacting with the seasonal cycles, may interfere with, or aid, the SC influence.

Controlled generation of high-intensity optical rogue waves by induced modulation instability

PubMed Central

Zhao, Saili; Yang, Hua; Chen, Nengsong; Zhao, Chujun

2017-01-01

Optical rogue waves are featured as the generation of high amplitude events at low probability in optical systems. Moreover, the formation of optical rogue waves is unpredictable and transient in photonic crystal fibers. In this paper, we put forward a method to generate high-intensity optical rogue waves in a more controlled way based on induced modulation instability, which can suppress the noise effect and hence play a leading role in the process of pulse evolution. Our numerical simulations indicate that the generation of rogue wave can be controlled when seeding at the optimal modulation frequency and the intensity of rogue wave can be enhanced with appropriate modulation depth. Further, high-intensity rogue wave can also be ejected in the fiber with a shorter propagation length by regulating the modulation depth. These results all provide a better understanding of optical rogue wave, which can contribute to the generation of tunable long-wavelength spectral components and selective excitation of mid-infrared supercontinuum. PMID:28051149

Controlled generation of high-intensity optical rogue waves by induced modulation instability.

PubMed

Zhao, Saili; Yang, Hua; Chen, Nengsong; Zhao, Chujun

2017-01-04

Optical rogue waves are featured as the generation of high amplitude events at low probability in optical systems. Moreover, the formation of optical rogue waves is unpredictable and transient in photonic crystal fibers. In this paper, we put forward a method to generate high-intensity optical rogue waves in a more controlled way based on induced modulation instability, which can suppress the noise effect and hence play a leading role in the process of pulse evolution. Our numerical simulations indicate that the generation of rogue wave can be controlled when seeding at the optimal modulation frequency and the intensity of rogue wave can be enhanced with appropriate modulation depth. Further, high-intensity rogue wave can also be ejected in the fiber with a shorter propagation length by regulating the modulation depth. These results all provide a better understanding of optical rogue wave, which can contribute to the generation of tunable long-wavelength spectral components and selective excitation of mid-infrared supercontinuum.

Plasmon-shaped polarization gating for high-order-harmonic generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Feng; He, Lixin; Chen, Jiawei; Wang, Baoning; Zhu, Xiaosong; Lan, Pengfei; Lu, Peixiang

2017-12-01

We present a plasmon-shaped polarization gating for high-order-harmonic generation by using a linearly polarized laser field to illuminate two orthogonal bow-tie nanostructures. The results show that when these two bow-tie nanostructures have nonidentical geometrical sizes, the transverse and longitudinal components of the incident laser field will experience different phase responses, thus leading to a time-dependent ellipticity of laser field. For the polarizing angle of incident laser field in the range from 45∘ to 60∘, the dominant harmonic emission is gated within the few optical cycles where the laser ellipticity is below 0.3. Then sub-50-as isolated attosecond pulses (IAPs) can be generated. Such a plasmon-shaped polarization gating is robust for IAP generation against the variations of the carrier-envelope phases of the laser pulse. Moreover, by changing the geometrical size of one of the bow-tie nanostructures, the electron dynamics can be effectively controlled and the more efficient supercontinuum as well as IAP can be generated.

Concizumab, an anti-tissue factor pathway inhibitor antibody, induces increased thrombin generation in plasma from haemophilia patients and healthy subjects measured by the thrombin generation assay.

PubMed

Waters, E K; Sigh, J; Friedrich, U; Hilden, I; Sørensen, B B

2017-09-01

Concizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI), is being developed as a subcutaneously (s.c.) administered treatment for haemophilia. It demonstrated a concentration-dependent procoagulant effect in functional TFPI assays; however, global haemostatic assays, such as the thrombin generation assay (TGA), offer a more complete picture of coagulation. We investigated how concizumab affects thrombin generation following ex vivo spiking in plasma from haemophilia patients using the TGA, and if the assay can detect the effect of multiple s.c. concizumab doses in healthy subjects. For the ex vivo spiking study, platelet-poor plasma (PPP) from 18 patients with severe haemophilia was spiked with 0.001-500 nm concizumab. For the multiple-dosing study, four healthy males received concizumab 250 μg kg -1 s.c. every other day for eight doses; blood was collected before and after dosing and processed into PPP. In both studies, thrombin generation was measured using a Calibrated Automated Thrombogram ® system with 1 pm tissue factor. In spiked samples from haemophilia patients, peak thrombin and endogenous thrombin potential (ETP) increased concentration dependently, reaching near-normal levels at concizumab concentrations >10 nm. Repeated s.c. doses of concizumab in healthy subjects increased both peak thrombin and ETP; these effects were sustained throughout the dosing interval. Thrombin generation assay demonstrated increased thrombin generation with concizumab after ex vivo spiking of haemophilia plasma and multiple s.c. doses in healthy subjects, supporting both the utility of the TGA in evaluating concizumab treatment and the potential of s.c. concizumab as a novel haemophilia therapy. © 2017 The Authors. Haemophilia Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Generation and evaluation of antibody agents for molecular imaging of CD44v6-expressing cancers

PubMed Central

Haylock, Anna-Karin; Nilvebrant, Johan; Mortensen, Anja; Velikyan, Irina; Nestor, Marika; Falk, Ronny

2017-01-01

Aim The aim of this study was to generate and characterize scFv antibodies directed to human CD44v6, as well as to radiolabel and evaluate top candidates in vitro and in vivo for their potential use in CD44v6-targeted molecular imaging in cancer patients. Materials and methods Phage display selections were used to isolate CD44v6-specific scFvs. A chain shuffling strategy was employed for affinity maturation based on a set of CD44v6-specific first-generation clones. Two second-generation scFv clones were then chosen for labeling with 111In or 125I and assessed for CD44v6-specific binding on cultured tumor cells. In vivo uptake and distribution was evaluated in tumor-bearing mice using a dual tumor model. Finally, a proof-of-concept small animal PET-CT study was performed on one of the candidates labeled with 124I. Results Two affinity-matured clones, CD44v6-scFv-A11 and CD44v6-scFv-H12, displayed promising binding kinetics. Seven out of eight radiolabeled conjugates demonstrated CD44v6-specific binding. In vivo studies on selected candidates demonstrated very advantageous tumor-to-organ ratios, in particular for iodinated conjugates, where 125I-labeled scFvs exhibited favorable kinetics and tumor-to-blood ratios above five already at 24 hours p.i.. The small animal PET-CT study using 124I-labeled CD44v6-scFv-H12 was in line with the biodistribution data, clearly visualizing the high CD44v6-expressing tumor. Conclusion The single chain fragments, CD44v6-scFv-A11 and CD44v6-scFv-H12 specifically bind to CD44v6, and the radiolabeled counterparts provide high tumor-to-blood ratios and fast clearance from organs and blood. We conclude that radioiodinated CD44v6-scFv-A11 and CD44v6-scFv-H12 possess features highly suitable for stringent molecular imaging. PMID:29029420

Breakdown of Self-Incompatibility in a Natural Population of Petunia axillaris Caused by Loss of Pollen Function1

PubMed Central

Tsukamoto, Tatsuya; Ando, Toshio; Takahashi, Koichi; Omori, Takahiro; Watanabe, Hitoshi; Kokubun, Hisashi; Marchesi, Eduardo; Kao, Teh-hui

2003-01-01

Although Petunia axillaris subsp. axillaris is described as a self-incompatible taxon, some of the natural populations we have identified in Uruguay are composed of both self-incompatible and self-compatible plants. Here, we studied the self-incompatibility (SI) behavior of 50 plants derived from such a mixed population, designated U83, and examined the cause of the breakdown of SI. Thirteen plants were found to be self-incompatible, and the other 37 were found to be self-compatible. A total of 14 S-haplotypes were represented in these 50 plants, including two that we had previously identified from another mixed population, designated U1. All the 37 self-compatible plants carried either an SC1- or an SC2-haplotype. SC1SC1 and SC2SC2 homozygotes were generated by self-pollination of two of the self-compatible plants, and they were reciprocally crossed with 40 self-incompatible S-homozygotes (S1S1 through S40S40) generated from plants identified from three mixed populations, including U83. The SC1SC1 homozygote was reciprocally compatible with all the genotypes examined. The SC2SC2 homozygote accepted pollen from all but the S17S17 homozygote (identified from the U1 population), but the S17S17 homozygote accepted pollen from the SC2SC2 homozygote. cDNAs encoding SC2- and S17-RNases were cloned and sequenced, and their nucleotide sequences were completely identical. Analysis of bud-selfed progeny of heterozygotes carrying SC1 or SC2 showed that the SI behavior of SC1 and SC2 was identical to that of SC1 and SC2 homozygotes, respectively. All these results taken together suggested that the SC2-haplotype was a mutant form of the S17-haplotype, with the defect lying in the pollen function. The possible nature of the mutation is discussed. PMID:12692349

Generation of H2, O2, and H2O2 from water by the use of intense femtosecond laser pulses and the possibility of laser sterilization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chin, S. L.; Lagacé, S.

1996-02-01

An intense femtosecond Ti-sapphire laser pulse was focused into water, leading to self-focusing. Apart from generating a white light (supercontinuum), the intense laser field in the self-focusing regions of the laser pulse dissociated the water molecules, giving rise to hydrogen and oxygen gas as well as hydrogen peroxide. Our analysis shows that the formation of free radicals O, H, and OH preceded the formation of the stable products of H2, O2, and H2O2. Because O radicals and H2O2 are strong oxydizing agents, one can take advantage of this phenomenon to design a laser scheme for sterilization in medical and biological applications.

Ultrafast strong broadband light source generated in nanoscale plasmonic Au-AAO-Al structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Junbo; Yao, Linhua; Ma, Zongwei

we demonstrate an ultrafast strong broadband photoluminescence (PL) from Au-AAO-Al composite under low excitation power intensity of 3.8 34.5 GW /cm2. The emission wavelength is in the range of 450-1050 nm and the lifetime is under sub-nanosecond. Comparative studies of PL in Au-AAO-Al with different Au rod length and Au-AAO without Al coupling layer, together with the finite difference time domain (FDTD) calculations, present that the fast PL originates from the surface plasmon enhanced supercontinuum generation (SCG) in AAO membrane. The observations indicate that strong SCG could be realized in nanoscale plasmonic structures, which have promise applications in the minimization and integration of ultrafast lighting sources in photonic devices. National Natural Scientific Foundation of China (11404124).

Plasmon-enhanced versatile optical nonlinearities in a Au-Ag-Au multi-segmental hybrid structure.

PubMed

Yao, Lin-Hua; Zhang, Jun-Pei; Dai, Hong-Wei; Wang, Ming-Shan; Zhang, Lu-Man; Wang, Xia; Han, Jun-Bo

2018-06-27

A Au-Ag-Au multi-segmental hybrid structure has been synthesized by using an electrodeposition method based on an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane. The third-order optical nonlinearities, second harmonic generation (SHG) and photoluminescence (PL) properties containing ultrafast supercontinuum generation and plasmon mediated thermal emission have been investigated. Significant optical enhancements have been obtained near surface plasmon resonance wavelength in all the abovementioned nonlinear processes. Comparative studies between the Au-Ag-Au multi-segmental hybrid structure and the corresponding single-component Au and Ag hybrid structures demonstrate that the Au-Ag-Au multi-segmental hybrid structure has much larger optical nonlinearities than its counterparts. These results demonstrate that the Au-Ag-Au hybrid structure is a promising candidate for applications in plasmonic devices and enhancement substrates.

Numerical calculation of phase-matching properties in photonic crystal fibers with three and four zero-dispersion wavelengths.

PubMed

Zhao, Xingtao; Liu, Xiaoxu; Wang, Shutao; Wang, Wei; Han, Ying; Liu, Zhaolun; Li, Shuguang; Hou, Lantian

2015-10-19

Photonic crystal fibers with three and four zero-dispersion wavelengths are presented through special design of the structural parameters, in which the closing to zero and ultra-flattened dispersion can be obtained. The unique phase-matching properties of the fibers with three and four zero-dispersion wavelengths are analyzed. Variation of the phase-matching wavelengths with the pump wavelengths, pump powers, dispersion properties, and fiber structural parameters is analyzed. The presence of three and four zero-dispersion wavelengths can realize wavelength conversion of optical soliton between two anomalous dispersion regions, generate six phase-matching sidebands through four-wave mixing and create more new photon pairs, which can be used for the study of supercontinuum generation, optical switches and quantum optics.

Real-time, ultrahigh-resolution, optical coherence tomography with an all-fiber, femtosecond fiber laser continuum at 1.5 microm.

PubMed

Nishizawa, N; Chen, Y; Hsiung, P; Ippen, E P; Fujimoto, J G

2004-12-15

Real-time, ultrahigh-resolution optical coherence tomography (OCT) is demonstrated in the 1.4-1.7-microm wavelength region with a stretched-pulse, passively mode-locked, Er-doped fiber laser and highly nonlinear fiber. The fiber laser generates 100-mW, linearly chirped pulses at a 51-MHz repetition rate. The pulses are compressed and then coupled into a normally dispersive highly nonlinear fiber to generate a low-noise supercontinuum with a 180-nm FWHM bandwidth and 38 mW of output power. This light source is stable, compact, and broadband, permitting high-speed, real-time, high-resolution OCT imaging. In vivo high-speed OCT imaging of human skin with approximately 5.5-microm resolution and 99-dB sensitivity is demonstrated.

Modeling the Observed Solar Cycle Variations of the Quasi-biennial Oscillation (QBO): Amplification by Wave Forcing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mayr, Hans G.; Mengel, John G.; Huang, Frank T.; Chan, Kwing L.

2007-01-01

In several papers, the solar cycle (SC) effect in the lower atmosphere has been linked observationally to the Quasi-biennial Oscillation (QBO) of the zonal circulation, which is generated primarily by small-scale gravity waves (GW). Salby and Callaghan (2000) in particular analyzed the QBO, covering more than 40 years, and discovered that it contains a large SC signature at 20 km. With our Numerical Spectral Model (NSM), we conducted a 3D study to describe the QBO under the influence of the SC, and some results have been published (Mayr et al., GRL, 2005,2006). For a SC period of 10 years, the relative amplitude of radiative forcing is taken to vary exponentially with height, i.e., 0.2% at the surface, 2% at 50 km, 20% at 100 km and above. Applying spectral analysis to filter out and identify the SC signature, the model generates a relatively large modulation of the QBO, which reproduces the observations qualitatively. Our numerical results demonstrate that the modulation of the QBO, with constant phase relative to the SC, persist at least for 60 years. The same model run generates in the seasonal variations a hemispherically symmetric Equatorial Annual Oscillation (EAO, with 12-month period), which is confined to low latitudes like the QBO and is also modulated by the SC. Although the amplitude of the EAO is relatively small, its SC modulation is large, and it is in phase with that of the QBO. The SC modulated EAO is evidently the pathway and pacemaker for the solar influence on the QBO. To shed light on the dynamical processes involved, we present model results that show how the seasonal cycle induces the SC modulations of the EAO and QBO. Our analysis further demonstrates that the SC modulations of the QBO and EAO are amplified by the GW interaction with the flow. The GW momentum source clearly shows a SC modulation that is in phase with the corresponding modulations of the QBO and EAO. By tapping the momentum from the upward propagating GWs, the QBO and EAO apparently serve as conduits to amplify and transfer to lower altitudes the larger SC variations in the UV absorbed in the mesosphere. Our model also produces in the temperature variations of the QBO and EAO measurable SC modulations at polar latitudes near the tropopause, and such signatures have been reported in the literature. Contrary to conventional interpretation, however, we suggest that the effects are generated at least in part by the meridional circulation, and planetary waves presumably, which redistribute the energy from the equatorial region where wave forcing is very efficient and thereby amplifies the SC influence.

Potent inhibition of OKT3-induced T cell proliferation and suppression of CD147 cell surface expression in HeLa cells by scFv-M6-1B9.

PubMed

Intasai, Nutjeera; Tragoolpua, Khajornsak; Pingmuang, Prakitnavin; Khunkaewla, Panida; Moonsom, Seangdeun; Kasinrerk, Watchara; Lieber, André; Tayapiwatana, Chatchai

2008-01-01

CD147, a multifunctional type I transmembrane glycoprotein, has been implicated in various physiological and pathological processes. It is involved in signal transduction pathways and also plays a crucial role in the invasive and metastatic activity of malignant tumor cells. Diminished expression of this molecule has been shown to be beneficial in suppression of tumor progression. In a previous study, we generated and characterized a recombinant antibody fragment, scFv, which reacted specifically to CD147. In the present study, we further investigated the biological properties, function and the effect of generated scFv on CD147 expression. The in vitro study showed that soluble scFv-M6-1B9 produced from E. coli HB2151 bound to CD147 surface molecule and inhibited OKT3-induced T cell proliferation. Furthermore, soluble lysate of scFv-M6-1B9 from 293A cells, transduced with a scFv-M6-1B9 expressing adenovirus vector, recognized both recombinant and native CD147. These results indicate that scFv-M6-1B9 binds with high efficiency and specificity. Importantly, scFv-M6-1B9 intrabody reduced the expression of CD147 on the cell surface of HeLa cells suggesting that scFv-M6-1B9 is biologically active. In conclusion, our present study demonstrated that scFv-M6-1B9 has a great potential to target both the intracellular and the extracellular CD147. The generated scFv-M6-1B9 may be an effective agent to clarify the cellular function of CD147 and may aid in efforts to develop a novel treatment in various human carcinomas.

Watching the coherence of multiple vibrational states in organic dye molecules by using supercontinuum probing photon echo spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Guoyang; Song, Yunfei; Wang, Yang; He, Xing; Liu, Yuqiang; Liu, Weilong; Yang, Yanqiang

2011-12-01

A modified photon echo (PE) technique, the supercontinuum probing photon echo (SCPPE), is introduced and performed to investigate the vibrational coherence in organic dye IR780 perchlorate doped polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film. The coherences of multiple vibrational states which belong to four vibrational modes create complex oscillations in SCPPE signal. The frequencies of vibrational modes are confirmed from the results of Raman calculation which accord fairly well with the results of Raman scattering experiment. Compared with conventional one-color PE, the SCPPE technique can realize broadband detection and make the experiment about vibrational coherence more efficient.

Picosecond supercontinuum laser with consistent emission parameters over variable repetition rates from 1 to 40 MHz

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schönau, Thomas; Siebert, Torsten; Härtel, Romano; Klemme, Dietmar; Lauritsen, Kristian; Erdmann, Rainer

2013-02-01

An freely triggerable picosecond visible supercontinuum laser source is presented that allows for a uniform spectral profile and equivalent pulse characteristics over variable repetition rates from 1 to 40MHz. The system features PM Yb3+-doped fiber amplification of a picosecond gain-switched seed diode at 1062 nm. The pump power in the multi-stage amplifier is actively adjusted by a microcontroller for a consistent peak power of the amplified signal in the full range of repetition rates. The length of the PCF is scaled to deliver a homogeneous spectrum and minimized distortion of the temporal pulse shape.

Integrating solids and gases for attosecond pulse generation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hammond, T. J.; Monchoce, Sylvain; Zhang, Chunmei

Here, control of the field of few-cycle optical pulses has had an enormous impact on attosecond science. Subcycle pulses open the potential for non-adiabatic phase matching while concentrating the electric field so it can be used most efficiently. However, subcycle field transients have been difficult to generate. We exploit the perturbative response of a sub-100 µm thick monocrystalline quartz plate irradiated by an intense few-cycle 1.8 µm pulse, which creates a phase-controlled supercontinuum spectrum. Within the quartz, the pulse becomes space–time coupled as it generates a parallel second harmonic. Vacuum propagation naturally leads to a subcycle electric-field transient whose envelopemore » is sculpted by the carrier envelope phase of the incident radiation. We show that a second medium (either gas or solid) can generate isolated attosecond pulses in the extreme ultraviolet region. With no optical elements between the components, the process is scalable to very high energy pulses and allows the use of diverse media.« less

Integrating solids and gases for attosecond pulse generation

DOE PAGES

Hammond, T. J.; Monchoce, Sylvain; Zhang, Chunmei; ...

2017-08-21

Here, control of the field of few-cycle optical pulses has had an enormous impact on attosecond science. Subcycle pulses open the potential for non-adiabatic phase matching while concentrating the electric field so it can be used most efficiently. However, subcycle field transients have been difficult to generate. We exploit the perturbative response of a sub-100 µm thick monocrystalline quartz plate irradiated by an intense few-cycle 1.8 µm pulse, which creates a phase-controlled supercontinuum spectrum. Within the quartz, the pulse becomes space–time coupled as it generates a parallel second harmonic. Vacuum propagation naturally leads to a subcycle electric-field transient whose envelopemore » is sculpted by the carrier envelope phase of the incident radiation. We show that a second medium (either gas or solid) can generate isolated attosecond pulses in the extreme ultraviolet region. With no optical elements between the components, the process is scalable to very high energy pulses and allows the use of diverse media.« less

Generation and multi-octave shaping of mid-infrared intense single-cycle pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krogen, Peter; Suchowski, Haim; Liang, Houkun; Flemens, Noah; Hong, Kyung-Han; Kärtner, Franz X.; Moses, Jeffrey

2017-03-01

The generation of intense mid-infrared (mid-IR) optical pulses with customizable shape and spectra spanning a multiple-octave range of vibrational frequencies is an elusive technological capability. While some recent approaches to mid-IR supercontinuum generation—such as filamentation, multicolour four-wave-mixing and optical rectification—have successfully generated broad spectra, no process has been identified for achieving complex pulse shaping at the generation step. The adiabatic frequency converter allows for a one-to-one transfer of spectral phase through nonlinear frequency conversion over a larger-than-octave-spanning range and with an overall linear phase transfer function. Here, we show that we can convert shaped near-infrared (near-IR) pulses to shaped, energetic, multi-octave-spanning mid-IR pulses lasting only 1.2 optical cycles, and extendable to the sub-cycle regime. We expect this capability to enable a new class of precisely controlled nonlinear interactions in the mid-IR spectral range, from nonlinear vibrational spectroscopy to strong light-matter interactions and single-shot remote sensing.

Scandium(III) complexes of monophosphorus acid DOTA analogues: a thermodynamic and radiolabelling study with (44)Sc from cyclotron and from a (44)Ti/(44)Sc generator.

PubMed

Kerdjoudj, R; Pniok, M; Alliot, C; Kubíček, V; Havlíčková, J; Rösch, F; Hermann, P; Huclier-Markai, S

2016-01-28

The complexation ability of DOTA analogs bearing one methylenephosphonic (DO3AP) or methylenephosphinic (DO3AP(PrA) and DO3AP(ABn)) acid pendant arm toward scandium was evaluated. Stability constants of their scandium(iii) complexes were determined by potentiometry combined with (45)Sc NMR spectroscopy. The stability constants of the monophosphinate analogues are somewhat lower than that of the Sc-DOTA complex. The phosphorus acid moiety interacts with trivalent scandium even in very acidic solutions forming out-of-cage complexes; the strong affinity of the phosphonate group to Sc(iii) precludes stability constant determination of the Sc-DO3AP complex. These results were compared with those obtained by the free-ion selective radiotracer extraction (FISRE) method which is suitable for trace concentrations. FISRE underestimated the stability constants but their relative order was preserved. Nonetheless, as this method is experimentally simple, it is suitable for a quick relative comparison of stability constant values under trace concentrations. Radiolabelling of the ligands with (44)Sc was performed using the radioisotope from two sources, a (44)Ti/(44)Sc generator and (44m)Sc/(44)Sc from a cyclotron. The best radiolabelling conditions for the ligands were pH = 4, 70 °C and 20 min which were, however, not superior to those of the parent DOTA. Nonetheless, in vitro behaviour of the Sc(iii) complexes in the presence of hydroxyapatite and rat serum showed sufficient stability of (44)Sc complexes of these ligands for in vivo applications. PET images and ex vivo biodistribution of the (44)Sc-DO3AP complex performed on healthy Wistar male rats showed no specific bone uptake and rapid clearance through urine.

Replicating Single-Cycle Adenovirus Vectors Generate Amplified Influenza Vaccine Responses.

PubMed

Crosby, Catherine M; Matchett, William E; Anguiano-Zarate, Stephanie S; Parks, Christopher A; Weaver, Eric A; Pease, Larry R; Webby, Richard J; Barry, Michael A

2017-01-15

Head-to-head comparisons of conventional influenza vaccines with adenovirus (Ad) gene-based vaccines demonstrated that these viral vectors can mediate more potent protection against influenza virus infection in animal models. In most cases, Ad vaccines are engineered to be replication-defective (RD-Ad) vectors. In contrast, replication-competent Ad (RC-Ad) vaccines are markedly more potent but risk causing adenovirus diseases in vaccine recipients and health care workers. To harness antigen gene replication but avoid production of infectious virions, we developed "single-cycle" adenovirus (SC-Ad) vectors. Previous work demonstrated that SC-Ads amplify transgene expression 100-fold and produce markedly stronger and more persistent immune responses than RD-Ad vectors in Syrian hamsters and rhesus macaques. To test them as potential vaccines, we engineered RD and SC versions of adenovirus serotype 6 (Ad6) to express the hemagglutinin (HA) gene from influenza A/PR/8/34 virus. We show here that it takes approximately 33 times less SC-Ad6 than RD-Ad6 to produce equal amounts of HA antigen in vitro SC-Ad produced markedly higher HA binding and hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) titers than RD-Ad in Syrian hamsters. SC-Ad-vaccinated cotton rats had markedly lower influenza titers than RD-Ad-vaccinated animals after challenge with influenza A/PR/8/34 virus. These data suggest that SC-Ads may be more potent vaccine platforms than conventional RD-Ad vectors and may have utility as "needle-free" mucosal vaccines. Most adenovirus vaccines that are being tested are replication-defective adenoviruses (RD-Ads). This work describes testing newer single-cycle adenovirus (SC-Ad) vectors that replicate transgenes to amplify protein production and immune responses. We show that SC-Ads generate markedly more influenza virus hemagglutinin protein and require substantially less vector to generate the same immune responses as RD-Ad vectors. SC-Ads therefore hold promise to be more potent vectors and vaccines than current RD-Ad vectors. Copyright © 2017 Crosby et al.

Isolated-attosecond-pulse generation from asymmetric molecules with an {omega}+2{omega}/3 multicycle two-color field

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li Qianguang; Department of Physics, Xiaogan University, Xiaogan 432000; Hong Weiyi

2010-05-15

The high harmonic generation from asymmetric molecules with an {omega}+2{omega}/3 multicycle bichromatic laser pulse has been investigated. It is shown that the ionization asymmetry in consecutive half optical cycles for asymmetric molecules is further enhanced since the 2{omega}/3 control laser pulse further enhances the amplitude of the ionization peak at the center of the laser pulse. The 2{omega}/3 control laser pulse also significantly enlarges the difference of the photon energies emitted from the ejected electron in the half optical cycle at the central laser pulse and its next half optical cycle. In addition, a broadband supercontinuum is produced in themore » plateau of the spectrum, from which an isolated 90-as pulse can be directly obtained.« less

Temporal characterization of the wave-breaking flash in a laser plasma accelerator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miao, Bo; Feder, Linus; Goers, Andrew; Hine, George; Salehi, Fatholah; Wahlstrand, Jared; Woodbury, Daniel; Milchberg, Howard

2017-10-01

Wave-breaking injection of electrons into a relativistic plasma wake generated in near-critical density plasma by sub-terawatt laser pulses generates an intense ( 1 μJ) and ultra-broadband (Δλ 300 nm) radiation flash. In this work we demonstrate the spectral coherence of this radiation and measure its temporal width using single-shot supercontinuum spectral interferometry (SSSI). The measured temporal width is limited by measurement resolution to 50 fs. Spectral coherence is corroborated by PIC simulations which show that the spatial extent of the acceleration trajectory at the trapping region is small compared to the radiation center wavelength. To our knowledge, this is the first temporal and coherence characterization of wave-breaking radiation. This work is supported by the US Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.

Effect of semiconductor polymer backbone structures and side-chain parameters on the facile separation of semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes from as-synthesized mixtures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Dennis T.; Chung, Jong Won; Park, Geonhee; Kim, Yun-Tae; Lee, Chang Young; Cho, Yeonchoo; Yoo, Pil J.; Han, Jae-Hee; Shin, Hyeon-Jin; Kim, Woo-Jae

2018-01-01

Semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) show promise as core materials for next-generation solar cells and nanoelectronic devices. However, most commercial SWNT production methods generate mixtures of metallic SWNTs (m-SWNTs) and semiconducting SWNT (sc-SWNTs). Therefore, sc-SWNTs must be separated from their original mixtures before use. In this study, we investigated a polymer-based, noncovalent sc-SWNT separation approach, which is simple to perform and does not disrupt the electrical properties of the SWNTs, thus improving the performance of the corresponding sc-SWNT-based applications. By systematically investigating the effect that different structural features of the semiconductor polymer have on the separation of sc-SWNTs, we discovered that the length and configuration of the alkyl side chains and the rigidity of the backbone structure exert significant effects on the efficiency of sc-SWNT separation. We also found that electron transfer between the semiconductor polymers and sc-SWNTs is strongly affected by their energy-level alignment, which can be tailored by controlling the donor-acceptor configuration in the polymer backbone structures. Among the polymers investigated, the highly planar P8T2Z-C12 semiconductor polymer showed the best sc-SWNT separation efficiency and unprecedentedly strong electronic interaction with the sc-SWNTs, which is important for improving their performance in applications.

One-Shot In Vitro Evolution Generated an Antibody Fragment for Testing Urinary Cotinine with More Than 40-Fold Enhanced Affinity.

PubMed

Oyama, Hiroyuki; Morita, Izumi; Kiguchi, Yuki; Banzono, Erika; Ishii, Kasumi; Kubo, Satoshi; Watanabe, Yoshiro; Hirai, Anna; Kaede, Chiaki; Ohta, Mitsuhiro; Kobayashi, Norihiro

2017-01-03

Immunoassays for cotinine, a major nicotine metabolite, in the urine are useful for monitoring the degree of tobacco smoke exposure. However, hybridoma-based anti-cotinine antibodies lack sufficient binding affinity to perform practically sensitive measurements, and thus most cotinine assays still rely on polyclonal antibodies. Here, we describe the generation of a mutant single-chain Fv fragment (scFv) that was used in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to determine urinary cotinine levels in passive smokers. A "wild-type" scFv (scFv-wt) with a K a value of 2.7 × 10 7 M -1 (at 4 °C) was prepared by linking the V H and V L domains in a mouse anti-cotinine antibody. "One-shot" random mutagenesis on the scFv-wt gene by error-prone PCR generated mutant scFv genes, which were expressed on phage particles. Repeated panning directed toward mutants with slower off-rates selected scFv clones that showed improved sensitivity in an ELISA system. One of these mutants (scFv#m1-54) with five amino acid substitutions showed more than a 40-fold enhanced K a (1.2 × 10 9 M -1 at 4 °C) and, thus, was used to monitor human urinary cotinine. A limited amount of soluble scFv was reacted with urine specimens (or cotinine standards) at 4 °C for 120 min in microwells on which cotinine residues had been immobilized. The midpoint of the dose-response curves under optimized conditions (0.27 ng/assay) was more than 100-fold lower than the ELISA results obtained using scFv-wt. The limit of detection (8.4 pg/assay) corresponded to 0.17 ng/mL urinary cotinine, which was satisfactorily low for testing the threshold levels for passive smoke exposure. The assay values for volunteers correlated with the values determined using a commercial assay kit. This study evidently showed the potential of a molecular breeding approach, in which simple in vitro evolution might generate superior antibody reagents as cloned proteins, overcoming the limited molecular diversity inherent to conventional immunization-based antibodies.

Ikeda-like chaos on a dynamically filtered supercontinuum light source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chembo, Yanne K.; Jacquot, Maxime; Dudley, John M.; Larger, Laurent

2016-08-01

We demonstrate temporal chaos in a color-selection mechanism from the visible spectrum of a supercontinuum light source. The color-selection mechanism is governed by an acousto-optoelectronic nonlinear delayed-feedback scheme modeled by an Ikeda-like equation. Initially motivated by the design of a broad audience live demonstrator in the framework of the International Year of Light 2015, the setup also provides a different experimental tool to investigate the dynamical complexity of delayed-feedback dynamics. Deterministic hyperchaos is analyzed here from the experimental time series. A projection method identifies the delay parameter, for which the chaotic strange attractor originally evolving in an infinite-dimensional phase space can be revealed in a two-dimensional subspace.

The QBO as Potential Amplifier and Conduit to Lower Altitudes of Solar Cycle Influence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mayr, Hans G.; Mengel, John G.; Porter, Hayden S.

2005-01-01

In several papers, the solar cycle (SC) effect in the lower atmosphere has been linked to the Quasi-biennial Oscillation (QBO), which is generated primarily by small-scale gravity waves. Salby and Callaghan (2000) analyzed the observed zonal winds of the QBO over more than 40 years and found that it contains a relatively large SC signature at 20 km. Following up on an earlier 2D study with our global-scale Numerical Spectral Model (NSM), we discuss here a 3D study with the QBO under the influence of the SC. For a SC period of 10 years, the amplitude of the relative variations of radiative forcing is taken to vary for simplicity from 0.2% at the surface to 2% at 50 km to 20% at 100 km and above. Covering a limited time span of 40 years, this model produces in the lower stratosphere a relatively large modulation of the QBO, which appears to be related to the SC and is in qualitative agreement with the observations. Some of the energy in the QBO, confined to low latitudes primarily, is redistributed globally by the meridional circulation and planetary waves presumably, so that a measurable SC modulation is generated in the tropospheric temperatures of the polar regions. Further studies are needed, (1) to determine whether the effect is real and prevails in more extensive simulations and whether the results are robust when shorter integration steps are employed, and (2) to explore the mechanism(s) that may ample the apparent SC influence of the UV radiation extending into the lower atmosphere. Quasi-decadal oscillations, generated internally by the QBO interacting with the seasonal cycles, may interfere with or aid the SC effect.

Ultrafast spintronics roadmap: from femtosecond spin current pulses to terahertz non-uniform spin dynamics via nano-confined spin transfer torques (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melnikov, Alexey; Razdolski, Ilya; Alekhin, Alexandr; Ilin, Nikita; Meyburg, Jan; Diesing, Detlef; Roddatis, Vladimir; Rungger, Ivan; Stamenova, Maria; Sanvito, Stefano; Bovensiepen, Uwe

2016-10-01

Further development of spintronics requires miniaturization and reduction of characteristic timescales of spin dynamics combining the nanometer spatial and femtosecond temporal ranges. These demands shift the focus of interest towards the fundamental open question of the interaction of femtosecond spin current (SC) pulses with a ferromagnet (FM). The spatio-temporal properties of the spin transfer torque (STT) exerted by ultrashort SC pulses on the FM open the time domain for studying STT fingerprint on spatially non-uniform magnetization dynamics. Using the sensitivity of magneto-induced second harmonic generation to SC, we develop technique for SC monitoring. With 20 fs resolution, we demonstrate the generation of 250 fs-long SC pulses in Fe/Au/Fe/MgO(001) structures. Their temporal profile indicates (i) nearly-ballistic hot electron transport in Au and (ii) that the pulse duration is primarily determined by the thermalization time of laser-excited hot carriers in Fe. Together with strongly spin-dependent Fe/Au interface transmission calculated for these carriers, this suggests the non-thermal spin-dependent Seebeck effect dominating the generation of ultrashort SC pulses. The analysis of SC transmission/reflection at the Au/Fe interface shows that hot electron spins orthogonal to the Fe magnetization rotate gaining huge parallel (anti-parallel) projection in transmitted (reflected) SC. This is accompanied by a STT-induced perturbation of the magnetization localized at the interface, which excites the inhomogeneous high-frequency spin dynamics in the FM. Time-resolved magneto-optical studies reveal the excitation of several standing spin wave modes in the Fe film with their spectrum extending up to 0.6 THz and indicating the STT spatial confinement to 2 nm.

Absolute detector-based spectrally tunable radiant source using digital micromirror device and supercontinuum fiber laser.

PubMed

Li, Zhigang; Wang, Xiaoxu; Zheng, Yuquan; Li, Futian

2017-06-10

High-accuracy absolute detector-based spectroradiometric calibration techniques traceable to cryogenic absolute radiometers have made progress rapidly in recent decades under the impetus of atmospheric quantitative spectral remote sensing. A high brightness spectrally tunable radiant source using a supercontinuum fiber laser and a digital micromirror device (DMD) has been developed to meet demands of spectroradiometric calibrations for ground-based, aeronautics-based, and aerospace-based remote sensing instruments and spectral simulations of natural scenes such as the sun and atmosphere. Using a supercontinuum fiber laser as a radiant source, the spectral radiance of the spectrally tunable radiant source is 20 times higher than the spectrally tunable radiant source using conventional radiant sources such as tungsten halogen lamps, xenon lamps, or LED lamps, and the stability is better than ±0.3%/h. Using a DMD, the spectrally tunable radiant source possesses two working modes. In narrow-band modes, it is calibrated by an absolute detector, and in broad-band modes, it can calibrate for remote sensing instrument. The uncertainty of the spectral radiance of the spectrally tunable radiant source is estimated at less than 1.87% at 350 nm to 0.85% at 750 nm, and compared to only standard lamp-based calibration, a greater improvement is gained.

Useful properties of spinal circuits for learning and performing planar reaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsianos, George A.; Goodner, Jared; Loeb, Gerald E.

2014-10-01

Objective. We developed a detailed model of the spinal circuitry plus musculoskeletal system (SC + MS) for the primate arm and investigated its role in sensorimotor control, learning and storing of movement repertoires. Approach. Recently developed models of spinal circuit connectivity, neurons and muscle force/energetics were integrated and in some cases refined to construct the most comprehensive model of the SC + MS to date. The SC + MS’s potential contributions to center-out reaching movement were assessed by employing an extremely simple model of the brain that issued only step commands. Main results. The SC + MS was able to generate physiological muscle dynamics underlying reaching across different directions, distances, speeds, and even in the midst of strong dynamic perturbations (i.e. viscous curl field). For each task, there were many different combinations of brain inputs that generated physiological performance. Natural patterns of recruitment and low metabolic cost emerged for about half of the learning trials when a purely kinematic cost function was used and for all of the trials when an estimate of metabolic energy consumption was added to the cost function. Solutions for different tasks could be interpolated to generate intermediate movement and the range over which interpolation was successful was consistent with experimental reports. Significance. This is the first demonstration that a realistic model of the SC + MS is capable of generating the required dynamics of center-out reaching. The interpolability observed is important for the feasibility of storing motor programs in memory rather than computing them from internal models of the musculoskeletal plant. Successful interpolation of command programs required them to have similar muscle recruitment patterns, which are thought by many to arise from hard-wired muscle synergies rather than learned as in our model system. These properties of the SC + MS along with its tendency to generate energetically efficient solutions might usefully be employed by motor cortex to generate voluntary behaviors such as reaching to targets.

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Using a Supercontinuum Laser: Application to Long Wavelength Transmission Spectra of Barley Endosperm and Oil.

PubMed

Ringsted, Tine; Dupont, Sune; Ramsay, Jacob; Jespersen, Birthe Møller; Sørensen, Klavs Martin; Keiding, Søren Rud; Engelsen, Søren Balling

2016-07-01

The supercontinuum laser is a new type of light source, which combines the collimation and intensity of a laser with the broad spectral region of a lamp. Using such a source therefore makes it possible to focus the light onto small sample areas without losing intensity and thus facilitate either rapid or high-intensity measurements. Single seed transmission analysis in the long wavelength (LW) near-infrared (NIR) region is one area that might benefit from a brighter light source such as the supercontinuum laser. This study is aimed at building an experimental spectrometer consisting of a supercontinuum laser source and a dispersive monochromator in order to investigate its capability to measure the barley endosperm using transmission experiments in the LW NIR region. So far, barley and wheat seeds have only been studied using NIR transmission in the short wavelength region up to 1100 nm. However, the region in the range of 2260-2380 nm has previously shown to be particularly useful in differentiating barley phenotypes using NIR spectroscopy in reflectance mode. In the present study, 350 seeds (consisting of 70 seeds from each of five barley genotypes) in 1 mm slices were measured by NIR transmission in the range of 2235-2381 nm and oils from the same five barley genotypes were measured in a cuvette with a 1 mm path length in the range of 2003-2497 nm. The spectra of the barley seeds could be classified according to genotypes by principal component analysis; and spectral covariances with reference analysis of moisture, β-glucan, starch, protein and lipid were established. The spectral variations of the barley oils were compared to the fatty acid compositions as measured using gas chromotography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). © The Author(s) 2016.

Separation of 44Ti from proton irradiated scandium by using solid-phase extraction chromatography and design of 44Ti/44Sc generator system.

PubMed

Radchenko, V; Meyer, C A L; Engle, J W; Naranjo, C M; Unc, G A; Mastren, T; Brugh, M; Birnbaum, E R; John, K D; Nortier, F M; Fassbender, M E

2016-12-16

Scandium-44g (half-life 3.97h [1]) shows promise for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of longer biological processes than that of the current gold standard, 18 F, due to its favorable decay parameters. One source of 44g Sc is the long-lived parent nuclide 44 Ti (half-life 60.0 a). A 44 Ti/ 44g Sc generator would have the ability to provide radionuclidically pure 44g Sc on a daily basis. The production of 44 Ti via the 45 Sc(p,2n) reaction requires high proton beam currents and long irradiation times. Recovery and purification of no-carrier added (nca) 44 Ti from scandium metal targets involves complex separation chemistry. In this study, separation systems based on solid phase extraction chromatography were investigated, including branched diglycolamide (BDGA) resin and hydroxamate based ZR resin. Results indicate that ZR resin in HCl media represents an effective 44 Ti/ 44g Sc separation system. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Separation of 44Ti from proton irradiated scandium by using solid-phase extraction chromatography and design of 44Ti/ 44Sc generator system

DOE PAGES

Radchenko, Valery; Meyer, Catherine Anne Louise; Engle, Jonathan Ward; ...

2016-11-24

Scandium-44 g (half-life 3.97 h) shows promise for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of longer biological processes than that of the current gold standard, 18F, due to its favorable decay parameters. One source of 44gSc is the long-lived parent nuclide 44Ti (half-life 60.0 a). A 44Ti/ 44gSc generator would have the ability to provide radionuclidically pure 44gSc on a daily basis. The production of 44Ti via the 45Sc(p,2n) reaction requires high proton beam currents and long irradiation times. Recovery and purification of no-carrier added (nca) 44Ti from scandium metal targets involves complex separation chemistry. In this study, separation systems basedmore » on solid phase extraction chromatography were investigated, including branched diglycolamide (BDGA) resin and hydroxamate based ZR resin. Lastly, results indicate that ZR resin in HCl media represents an effective 44Ti/ 44gSc separation system.« less

Generation of anti-idiotype scFv for pharmacokinetic measurement in lymphoma patients treated with chimera anti-CD22 antibody SM03.

PubMed

Zhao, Qi; Wong, Pui-Fan; Lee, Susanna S T; Leung, Shui-On; Cheung, Wing-Tai; Wang, Jun-Zhi

2014-01-01

Pre-clinical and clinical studies of therapeutic antibodies require highly specific reagents to examine their immune responses, bio-distributions, immunogenicity, and pharmacodynamics in patients. Selective antigen-mimicking anti-idiotype antibody facilitates the assessment of therapeutic antibody in the detection, quantitation and characterization of antibody immune responses. Using mouse specific degenerate primer pairs and splenocytic RNA, we generated an idiotype antibody-immunized phage-displayed scFv library in which an anti-idiotype antibody against the therapeutic chimera anti-CD22 antibody SM03 was isolated. The anti-idiotype scFv recognized the idiotype of anti-CD22 antibody and inhibited binding of SM03 to CD22 on Raji cell surface. The anti-idiotype scFv was subsequently classified as Ab2γ type. Moreover, our results also demonstrated firstly that the anti-idiotype scFv could be used for pharmacokinetic measurement of circulating residual antibody in lymphoma patients treated with chimera anti-CD22 monoclonal antibody SM03. Of important, the present approach could be easily adopted to generate anti-idiotype antibodies for therapeutic antibodies targeting membrane proteins, saving the cost and time for producing a soluble antigen.

Generation of Anti-Idiotype scFv for Pharmacokinetic Measurement in Lymphoma Patients Treated with Chimera Anti-CD22 Antibody SM03

PubMed Central

Zhao, Qi; Wong, Pui-Fan; Lee, Susanna S. T.; Leung, Shui-On; Cheung, Wing-Tai; Wang, Jun-Zhi

2014-01-01

Pre-clinical and clinical studies of therapeutic antibodies require highly specific reagents to examine their immune responses, bio-distributions, immunogenicity, and pharmacodynamics in patients. Selective antigen-mimicking anti-idiotype antibody facilitates the assessment of therapeutic antibody in the detection, quantitation and characterization of antibody immune responses. Using mouse specific degenerate primer pairs and splenocytic RNA, we generated an idiotype antibody-immunized phage-displayed scFv library in which an anti-idiotype antibody against the therapeutic chimera anti-CD22 antibody SM03 was isolated. The anti-idiotype scFv recognized the idiotype of anti-CD22 antibody and inhibited binding of SM03 to CD22 on Raji cell surface. The anti-idiotype scFv was subsequently classified as Ab2γ type. Moreover, our results also demonstrated firstly that the anti-idiotype scFv could be used for pharmacokinetic measurement of circulating residual antibody in lymphoma patients treated with chimera anti-CD22 monoclonal antibody SM03. Of important, the present approach could be easily adopted to generate anti-idiotype antibodies for therapeutic antibodies targeting membrane proteins, saving the cost and time for producing a soluble antigen. PMID:24816427

Biocompatible coupling of therapeutic fusion proteins to human erythrocytes

PubMed Central

Villa, Carlos H.; Pan, Daniel C.; Johnston, Ian H.; Greineder, Colin F.; Walsh, Landis R.; Hood, Elizabeth D.; Cines, Douglas B.; Poncz, Mortimer; Siegel, Don L.

2018-01-01

Carriage of drugs by red blood cells (RBCs) modulates pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and immunogenicity. However, optimal targets for attaching therapeutics to human RBCs and adverse effects have not been studied. We engineered nonhuman-primate single-chain antibody fragments (scFvs) directed to human RBCs and fused scFvs with human thrombomodulin (hTM) as a representative biotherapeutic cargo (hTM-scFv). Binding fusions to RBCs on band 3/glycophorin A (GPA; Wright b [Wrb] epitope) and RhCE (Rh17/Hr0 epitope) similarly endowed RBCs with hTM activity, but differed in their effects on RBC physiology. scFv and hTM-scFv targeted to band 3/GPA increased membrane rigidity and sensitized RBCs to hemolysis induced by mechanical stress, while reducing sensitivity to hypo-osmotic hemolysis. Similar properties were seen for other ligands bound to GPA and band 3 on human and murine RBCs. In contrast, binding of scFv or hTM-scFv to RhCE did not alter deformability or sensitivity to mechanical and osmotic stress at similar copy numbers bound per RBCs. Contrasting responses were also seen for immunoglobulin G antibodies against band 3, GPA, and RhCE. RBC-bound hTM-scFv generated activated protein C (APC) in the presence of thrombin, but RhCE-targeted hTM-scFv demonstrated greater APC generation per bound copy. Both Wrb- and RhCE-targeted fusion proteins inhibited fibrin deposition induced by tumor necrosis factor-α in an endothelialized microfluidic model using human whole blood. RhCE-bound hTM-scFv more effectively reduced platelet and leukocyte adhesion, whereas anti-Wrb scFv appeared to promote platelet adhesion. These data provide a translational framework for the development of engineered affinity ligands to safely couple therapeutics to human RBCs. PMID:29365311

Analytical relation between effective mode field area and waveguide dispersion in microstructure fibers.

PubMed

Moenster, Mathias; Steinmeyer, Günter; Iliew, Rumen; Lederer, Falk; Petermann, Klaus

2006-11-15

For optical fibers exhibiting a radially symmetric refractive index profile, there exists an analytical relation that connects waveguide dispersion and the Petermann-II mode field radius. We extend the usefulness of this relation to the nonradially symmetric case of microstructure fibers in the anomalous dispersion regime, yielding a simple relation between dispersion and effective mode field area. Assuming a Gaussian mode distribution, we derive a fundamental upper limit for the effective mode field area that is required to obtain a certain amount of anomalous waveguide dispersion. This relation is demonstrated to show excellent agreement for fiber designs suited for supercontinuum generation and soliton lasers in the near infrared.

Multi-pulse operation of a dissipative soliton fibre laser based on nonlinear polarisation rotation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yu, H L; Wang, X L; Zhou, P

We report an experimental observation of multiple dissipative soliton (DS) operation states in an all-normal-dispersion passively mode-locked Yb-doped fibre laser, including DS bound and oscillating states. In the bound state, multiple DSs up to 11 can coexist in the cavity. In the oscillating state, the DSs' movements are not purely random and three typical states are generalised and illustrated. A single-pulse mode-locked state is established at a high pump power by carefully adjusting the polarisation controllers. The broad spectrum indicates that it may be noise-like pulses, which can serve as a pump to generate a supercontinuum. (control of laser radiationmore » parameters)« less

Extending of flat normal dispersion profile in all-solid soft glass nonlinear photonic crystal fibres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siwicki, Bartłomiej; Kasztelanic, Rafał; Klimczak, Mariusz; Cimek, Jarosław; Pysz, Dariusz; Stępień, Ryszard; Buczyński, Ryszard

2016-06-01

The bandwidth of coherent supercontinuum generated in optical fibres is strongly determined by the all-normal dispersion characteristic of the fibre. We investigate all-normal dispersion limitations in all-solid oxide-based soft glass photonic crystal fibres with various relative inclusion sizes and lattice constants. The influence of material dispersion on fibre dispersion characteristics for a selected pair of glasses is also examined. A relation between the material dispersion of the glasses and the fibre dispersion has been described. We determined the parameters which limit the maximum range of flattened all-normal dispersion profile achievable for the considered pair of heavy-metal-oxide soft glasses.

152 fs nanotube-mode-locked thulium-doped all-fiber laser

PubMed Central

Wang, Jinzhang; Liang, Xiaoyan; Hu, Guohua; Zheng, Zhijian; Lin, Shenghua; Ouyang, Deqin; Wu, Xu; Yan, Peiguang; Ruan, Shuangchen; Sun, Zhipei; Hasan, Tawfique

2016-01-01

Ultrafast fiber lasers with broad bandwidth and short pulse duration have a variety of applications, such as ultrafast time-resolved spectroscopy and supercontinuum generation. We report a simple and compact all-fiber thulium-doped femtosecond laser mode-locked by carbon nanotubes. The oscillator operates in slightly normal cavity dispersion at 0.055 ps2, and delivers 152 fs pulses with 52.8 nm bandwidth and 0.19 nJ pulse energy. This is the shortest pulse duration and the widest spectral width demonstrated from Tm-doped all-fiber lasers based on 1 or 2 dimensional nanomaterials, underscoring their growing potential as versatile saturable absorber materials. PMID:27374764

Carrier-envelope offset frequency stabilization of an ultrafast semiconductor laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jornod, Nayara; Gürel, Kutan; Wittwer, Valentin J.; Brochard, Pierre; Hakobyan, Sargis; Schilt, Stéphane; Waldburger, Dominik; Keller, Ursula; Südmeyer, Thomas

2018-02-01

We present the self-referenced stabilization of the carrier-envelope offset (CEO) frequency of a semiconductor disk laser. The laser is a SESAM-modelocked VECSEL emitting at a wavelength of 1034 nm with a repetition frequency of 1.8 GHz. The 270-fs pulses are amplified to 3 W and compressed to 120 fs for the generation of a coherent octavespanning supercontinuum spectrum. A quasi-common-path f-to-2f interferometer enables the detection of the CEO beat with a signal-to-noise ratio of 30 dB sufficient for its frequency stabilization. The CEO frequency is phase-locked to an external reference with a feedback signal applied to the pump current.

1 kW peak power passively Q-switched Nd(3+)-doped glass integrated waveguide laser.

PubMed

Charlet, B; Bastard, L; Broquin, J E

2011-06-01

Embedded optical sensors always require more compact, stable, and powerful laser sources. In this Letter, we present a fully integrated passively Q-switched laser, which has been realized by a Ag(+)/Na(+) ion exchange on a Nd(3+)-doped phosphate glass. A BDN-doped cellulose acetate thick film is deposited on the waveguide, acting as an upper cladding and providing a distributed saturable absorption. At λ=1054 nm, the device emits pulses of 1.3 ns FWHM with a repetition rate of 28 kHz. These performances, coupled with the 1 kW peak power, are promising for applications such as supercontinuum generation. © 2011 Optical Society of America

Construction of a scFv Library with Synthetic, Non-combinatorial CDR Diversity.

PubMed

Bai, Xuelian; Shim, Hyunbo

2017-01-01

Many large synthetic antibody libraries have been designed, constructed, and successfully generated high-quality antibodies suitable for various demanding applications. While synthetic antibody libraries have many advantages such as optimized framework sequences and a broader sequence landscape than natural antibodies, their sequence diversities typically are generated by random combinatorial synthetic processes which cause the incorporation of many undesired CDR sequences. Here, we describe the construction of a synthetic scFv library using oligonucleotide mixtures that contain predefined, non-combinatorially synthesized CDR sequences. Each CDR is first inserted to a master scFv framework sequence and the resulting single-CDR libraries are subjected to a round of proofread panning. The proofread CDR sequences are assembled to produce the final scFv library with six diversified CDRs.

High repetition rate tunable femtosecond pulses and broadband amplification from fiber laser pumped parametric amplifier.

PubMed

Andersen, T V; Schmidt, O; Bruchmann, C; Limpert, J; Aguergaray, C; Cormier, E; Tünnermann, A

2006-05-29

We report on the generation of high energy femtosecond pulses at 1 MHz repetition rate from a fiber laser pumped optical parametric amplifier (OPA). Nonlinear bandwidth enhancement in fibers provides the intrinsically synchronized signal for the parametric amplifier. We demonstrate large tunability extending from 700 nm to 1500 nm of femtosecond pulses with pulse energies as high as 1.2 muJ when the OPA is seeded by a supercontinuum generated in a photonic crystal fiber. Broadband amplification over more than 85 nm is achieved at a fixed wavelength. Subsequent compression in a prism sequence resulted in 46 fs pulses. With an average power of 0.5 W these pulses have a peak-power above 10 MW. In particular, the average power and pulse energy scalability of both involved concepts, the fiber laser and the parametric amplifier, will enable easy up-scaling to higher powers.

Light propagation in gas-filled kagomé hollow core photonic crystal fibres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodrigues, Sílvia M. G.; Facão, Margarida; Ferreira, Mário F. S.

2018-04-01

We study the propagation of light in kagomé hollow core photonic crystal fibres (HC-PCFs) filled with three different noble gases, namely, helium, xenon and argon. Various properties, including the guided modes, the group-velocity dispersion, and the nonlinear parameter were determined. The zero dispersion wavelength and the nonlinear parameter vary with the gas pressure which may be used to tune the generation of new frequencies using the same pump laser and the same fibre. In the case of the kagomé HC-PCF filled with xenon, the zero dispersion wavelength shifts from 693 to 1973 nm when the pressure is increased from 1 to 150bar, while the effective Kerr nonlinearity becomes comparable to that of silica. We have simulated the propagation of femtosecond pulses launched at 790 nm in order to study the generation of supercontinuum and UV light in kagomé HC-PCFs filled with the noble gases.

Advanced injection seeder for various applications: form LIDARs to supercontinuum sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grzes, Pawel

2017-12-01

The paper describes an injection seeder driver (prototype) for a directly modulated semiconductor laser diode. The device provides adjustable pulse duration and repetition frequency to shape an output signal. A temperature controller stabilizes a laser diode spectrum. Additionally, to avoid a back oscillation, redundant power supply holds a generation until next stages shut down. Low EMI design and ESD protection guarantee stable operation even in a noisy environment. The controller is connected to the PC via USB and parameters of the pulse are digitally controlled through a graphical interface. The injection seeder controller can be used with a majority of commercially available laser diodes. In the experimental setup a telecommunication DFB laser with 4 GHz bandwidth was used. It allows achieving subnanosecond pulses generated at the repetition rate ranging from 1 kHz to 50 MHz. The developed injection seeder controller with a proper laser diode can be used in many scientific, industrial and medical applications.

The QBO as Potential Amplifier and Conduit to Lower Altitudes of Solar Cycle Influence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mayr, Hans G.; Mengel, John G.; Chan, Kwing L.; Porter, Hayden S.

2005-01-01

The solar cycle (SC) effect in the lower atmosphere has been linked observationally to the Quasi-biennial Oscillation (QBO), which is generated primarily by small-scale gravity waves. Salby and Callaghan analyzed the QBO observations covering more than 40 years and found that it contains a relatively large SC signature at 20 km. Following up on a 2D study with our Numerical Spectral Model (NSM), we discuss here a 3D study in which we simulated the QBO under the influence of the SC. For a SC period of 10 years, the amplitude of the relative variations of radiative forcing is taken to vary from 0.2% at the surface to 2% at 50 km to 20% at 100 km and above. This model produces in the lower stratosphere a relatively large modulation of the QBO, which appears to be related to the SC and is in qualitative agreement with the observations. Further studies are needed, (1) to determine whether the effect is real and the results are robust and (2) to explore the mechanism(s) that may amplify the SC effect. Quasi-decadal oscillations, generated internally by the QBO interacting with the seasonal cycles, may interfere with or aid the SC effect.

Evaluation of Warm and Cold Shaft Designs for Large Multi-megawatt Direct Drive Offshore Superconducting Wind Generators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulkarni, Devdatta; Chen, Edward; Ho, Mantak; Karmaker, Haran

For offshore large multi-megawatt direct drive wind generators, because of its ability to generate high flux fields, superconducting (SC) technology can offer significant size and mass reduction over traditional technologies. However, cryogenic cooling design remains as one of the major obstacles to overcome. Different cryogenic cooling designs, such as warm shaft and cold shaft rotor design, present different advantages and challenges technically and commercially. This paper presents the investigations on both designs for large SC generators from manufacturability and service perspectives.

The control of electron quantum trajectories on the high-order harmonic generation of CO and N2 molecules in the presence of a low frequency field.

PubMed

Koushki, A M; Sadighi-Bonabi, R; Mohsen-Nia, M; Irani, E

2018-04-14

In the present work, an efficient method is theoretically investigated for extending high-order harmonics and ultrashort attosecond pulse generation in N 2 and CO molecules by using the time-dependent density functional theory approach. Our results show that by utilizing chirped laser field in the presence of a low frequency field, not only is the harmonic cutoff extended remarkably but also the single short quantum trajectory is selected to contribute to the harmonic spectra. When a low frequency field is added to the two-color chirped laser field, the long quantum trajectories are suppressed and only the short quantum trajectories contribute to the higher harmonic emission mechanism. As a result, the spectral modulation is significantly decreased and an intense ultrashort pulse can be generated from the supercontinuum region of high harmonics. With such a scheme, the isolated ultrashort attosecond pulses can be generated in length, velocity, and acceleration gauges. Furthermore, these results are explained by using the classical and quantum time-frequency analyses.

Generation of Raman lasers from nitrogen molecular ions driven by ultraintense laser fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Jinping; Chu, Wei; Liu, Zhaoxiang; Xu, Bo; Chen, Jinming; Cheng, Ya

2018-03-01

Atmospheric lasing has aroused much interest in the past few years. The ‘air–laser’ opens promising potential for remote chemical sensing of trace gases with high sensitivity and specificity. At present, several approaches have been successfully implemented for generating highly coherent laser beams in atmospheric condition, including both amplified-spontaneous emission, and narrow-bandwidth stimulated emission in the forward direction in the presence of self-generated or externally injected seed pulses. Here, we report on generation of multiple-wavelength Raman lasers from nitrogen molecular ions ({{{N}}}2+), driven by intense mid-infrared laser fields. Intuitively, the approach appears problematic for the small nonlinear susceptibility of {{{N}}}2+ ions, whereas the efficiency of Raman laser can be significantly promoted in near-resonant condition. More surprisingly, a Raman laser consisting of a supercontinuum spanning from ∼310 to ∼392 nm has been observed resulting from a series near-resonant nonlinear processes including four-wave mixing, stimulated Raman scattering and cross phase modulation. To date, extreme nonlinear optics in molecular ions remains largely unexplored, which provides an alternative means for air–laser-based remote sensing applications.

The control of electron quantum trajectories on the high-order harmonic generation of CO and N2 molecules in the presence of a low frequency field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koushki, A. M.; Sadighi-Bonabi, R.; Mohsen-Nia, M.; Irani, E.

2018-04-01

In the present work, an efficient method is theoretically investigated for extending high-order harmonics and ultrashort attosecond pulse generation in N2 and CO molecules by using the time-dependent density functional theory approach. Our results show that by utilizing chirped laser field in the presence of a low frequency field, not only is the harmonic cutoff extended remarkably but also the single short quantum trajectory is selected to contribute to the harmonic spectra. When a low frequency field is added to the two-color chirped laser field, the long quantum trajectories are suppressed and only the short quantum trajectories contribute to the higher harmonic emission mechanism. As a result, the spectral modulation is significantly decreased and an intense ultrashort pulse can be generated from the supercontinuum region of high harmonics. With such a scheme, the isolated ultrashort attosecond pulses can be generated in length, velocity, and acceleration gauges. Furthermore, these results are explained by using the classical and quantum time-frequency analyses.

Coherent control of high-order-harmonic generation via tunable plasmonic bichromatic near fields in a metal nanoparticle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Wen-Xing; Xie, Xiao-Tao; Chen, Ai-Xi; Huang, Ziwen; Lee, Ray-Kuang

2016-05-01

We present a theoretical investigation of high-order-harmonic generation (HHG) via bichromatic plasmonic near fields with metal nanoparticles. Bichromatic plasmonic near fields, which depend on temporal waveform synthesis, are generated when a metallic nanoparticle subjected to a moderate-intensity (<1012W /cm2 ) bichromatic few-cycle pulse. By means of a windowed Fourier transform of the time-dependent acceleration, we show that the differences in energies and level crossing between the adiabatic states of a two-level Hamiltonian are responsible for the cutoff energy of harmonics. Thus, we can manipulate the adiabatic states, and consequently the HHG spectra, by means of the bichromatic plasmonic near fields. In contrast to the case of a monochromatic field alone, a significant cutoff extension can be achieved via optimization of the bichromatic few-cycle pulse. Moreover, the supercontinuum in the bichromatic field shows a higher energy spectrum along with a broader bandwidth, which is beneficial for the efficient generation of broadband-isolated ultrashort extreme ultraviolet pulses from few-cycle laser fields.

The immunization site of cytokine-secreting tumor cell vaccines influences the trafficking of tumor-specific T lymphocytes and antitumor efficacy against regional tumors.

PubMed

Chang, Chun-Jung; Tai, Kuo-Feng; Roffler, Steve; Hwang, Lih-Hwa

2004-11-15

Tumor cells engineered to secrete cytokines, referred to as tumor cell vaccines, can often generate systemic antitumor immunity and, in many cases, cause tumor regression. We compared the efficacy of s.c. immunization or intrahepatic immunization of GM-CSF-expressing tumor cell vaccines on the growth of s.c. or orthotopic liver tumors. A chemically transformed hepatic epithelial cell line, GP7TB, derived from Fischer 344 rats, was used to generate tumor models and tumor cell vaccines. Our results demonstrated that two s.c. injections of an irradiated tumor cell vaccine significantly controlled the growth of s.c. tumors, but was completely ineffective against orthotopic liver tumors. Effector cell infiltration in liver tumors was markedly reduced compared with s.c. tumors. Enhanced apoptosis of some effector cells was observed in the liver tumors compared with the s.c. tumors. Furthermore, the T cells induced by s.c. immunization preferentially migrated to s.c. tumor sites, as demonstrated by adoptive transfer experiments. In contrast, intrahepatic immunization, using parental tumor cells admixed with adenoviruses carrying the GM-CSF gene, yielded significantly better therapeutic effects on the liver tumors than on the s.c. tumors. Adoptive transfer experiments further confirmed that the T cells induced by liver immunization preferentially migrated to the liver tumor sites. Our results demonstrate that distinct T cell populations are induced by different immunization routes. Thus, the homing behavior of T cells depends on the route of immunization and is an important factor determining the efficacy of immunotherapy for regional tumors.

Novel avian single-chain fragment variable (scFv) targets dietary gluten and related natural grain prolamins, toxic entities of celiac disease.

PubMed

Stadlmann, Valerie; Harant, Hanna; Korschineck, Irina; Hermann, Marcela; Forster, Florian; Missbichler, Albert

2015-12-01

Celiac disease (CD) is a chronic, small intestinal inflammatory disease mediated by dietary gluten and related prolamins. The only current therapeutic option is maintenance of a strict life-long gluten-free diet, which implies substantial burden for CD patients. Different treatment regimes might be feasible, including masking of toxic celiac peptides with blocking antibodies or fragments thereof. The objective of this study was therefore to select and produce a recombinant avian single-chain fragment variable (scFv) directed against peptic-tryptic digested gliadin (PT-Gliadin) and related celiac toxic entities. Gluten-free raised chicken of same age were immunized with PT-Gliadin. Chicken splenic lymphocytes, selected with antigen-coated magnetic beads, served as RNA source for the generation of cDNA. Chicken VH and VL genes were amplified from the cDNA by PCR to generate full-length scFv constructs consisting of VH and VL fragments joined by a linker sequence. ScFv constructs were ligated in a prokaryotic expression vector, which provides a C-terminal hexahistidine tag. ScFvs from several bacterial clones were expressed in soluble form and crude cell lysates screened for binding to PT-Gliadin by ELISA. We identified an enriched scFv motif, which showed reactivity to PT-Gliadin. One selected scFv candidate was expressed and purified to homogeneity. Polyclonal anti-PT-Gliadin IgY, purified from egg yolk of immunized chicken, served as control. ScFv binds in a dose-dependent manner to PT-Gliadin, comparable to IgY. Furthermore, IgY competitively displaces scFv from PT-Gliadin and natural wheat flour digest, indicating a common epitope of scFv and IgY. ScFv was tested for reactivity to different gastric digested dietary grain flours. ScFv detects common and khorasan wheat comparably with binding affinities in the high nanomolar range, while rye is detected to a lesser extent. Notably, barley and cereals which are part of the gluten-free diet, like corn and rice, are not detected by scFv. Similarly, the pseudo-grain amaranth, used as gluten-free alternative, is not targeted by scFv. This data indicate that scFv specifically recognizes toxic cereal peptides relevant in CD. ScFv can be of benefit for future CD treatment regimes.

Rogue Waves and Extreme Events in Optics - Challenges and Questions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dudley, John; Lacourt, Pierre-Ambroise; Genty, Goery; Dias, Frederic; Akhmediev, Nail

2010-05-01

A central challenge in understanding extreme events in physics is to develop rigorous models linking the complex generation dynamics and the associated statistical behavior. Quantitative studies of extreme phenomena, however, are often hampered in two ways: (i) the intrinsic scarcity of the events under study and (ii) the fact that such events often appear in environments where measurements are difficult. A particular case of interest concerns the infamous oceanic rogue waves that have been associated with many catastrophic maritime disasters. Studying rogue waves under controlled conditions is problematic, and the phenomenon remains a subject of intensive research. On the other hand, there are many qualitative and quantitative links between wave propagation in optics and in hydrodynamics, and it is thus natural to consider to what degree (if any) insights from studying instability phenomena in optics can be applied to other systems. In this context, significant experiments were reported by Solli et al. in late 2007 ["Optical rogue waves," Nature 450, 1054 (2007)], where a wavelength-to-time detection technique allowed the direct characterization of shot-to-shot instabilities in the extreme nonlinear optical spectral broadening process of supercontinuum generation. Specifically, although the process of supercontinuum generation is well-known to exhibit fluctuations in both the time and frequency domains, Solli et al. have shown that these fluctuations contain a small number of statistically-rare "rogue" events associated with a greatly enhanced spectral bandwidth and the generation of localized temporal solitons with greatly increased intensity. Crucially, because these experiments were performed in a regime where modulation instability (MI) plays a key role in the dynamics, an analogy was drawn with hydrodynamic rogue waves, whose origin and dynamics has also been discussed in terms of MI or, as it often referred to in hydrodynamics, the Benjamin-Feir instability. The analogy between the appearance of localized structures in optics and the rogue waves on the ocean's surface is both intriguing and attractive, as it opens up possibilities to explore the extreme value dynamics in a convenient benchtop optical environment. In addition to the proposed links with solitons suggested by Solli et al., other recent studies motivated from an optical context have experimentally demonstrated links with nonlinear breather propagation. The purpose of this paper will be to discuss these results that have been obtained in optics, and to consider possible similarities and differences with oceanic rogue wave counterparts.

Imaging microfractures and other abnormalities of bone using a supercontinuum laser source with wavelengths in the four NIR optical windows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sordillo, Laura A.; Sordillo, Peter P.; Budansky, Yury; Leproux, Philippe; Alfano, R. R.

2015-02-01

Many areas of the body such as the tibia have minimal tissue thickness overlying bone. Near-infrared (NIR) optical windows may be used to image more deeply to reveal abnormalities hidden beneath tissue. We report on the potential application of a compact Leukos supercontinuum laser source (model STM-2000-IR) with wavelengths in the four NIR optical windows (from 650 nm to 950 nm, 1,100 nm to 1,350 nm, 1,600 to 1,870, and 2,100 nm to 2,300 nm, respectively) and between 200 - 500 microwatt/nm power, with InGaAs (Goodrich Sensors Inc. SU320- 1.7RT) and InSb detectors (Teledyne Technologies) to image microfractures and abnormalities of bone hidden beneath tissue.

Polarization study of a supercontinuum light source for different wavelengths through a photonic crystal fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valle-Atilano, F. J.; Estudillo-Ayala, J. M.; Filoteo-Razo, J. D.; Hernández-Garcia, J. C.; Lauterio-Cruz, J. P.; Jáuregui-Vázquez, D.; Ibarra-Escamilla, B.; Rojas-Laguna, R.; Pottiez, O.; Kuzin, E. A.

2016-03-01

In this work we show the changes of polarization at different wavelengths in the end of a photonic crystal fiber (PCF) by means bandpass filters in a supercontinuum light source. A linear and circular polarization was introduced in a piece of PCF, showing the changes of the polarization for each wavelength of each one of the filters from 450 to 700nm. We used a microchip laser as pumping source with wavelength of 532nm and short pulses of 650ps with repetition rate of 5kHz. We obtained a continuous spectrum in the visible spectral region, showing a comparison of the polarization state at the fiber input with respect to polarization state in the fiber output for different wavelengths by rotating the axes of the PCF.

Microchip laser mid-infrared supercontinuum laser source based on an As2Se3 fiber.

PubMed

Gattass, Rafael R; Brandon Shaw, L; Sanghera, Jasbinder S

2014-06-15

We report on a proof of concept for a compact supercontinuum source for the mid-infrared wavelength range based on a microchip laser and nonlinear conversion inside a selenide-based optical fiber. The spectrum extends from 3.74 to 4.64 μm at -10  dB from the peak and 3.65 to 4.9 μm at -20  dB from the peak; emitting beyond the wavelength range that periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) starts to display a power penalty. Wavelength conversion occurs inside the core of a single-mode fiber, resulting in a high-brightness emission source. A maximum average power of 5 mW was demonstrated, but the architecture is scalable to higher average powers.

hyperspectral characterization of tissue simulating phantoms using a supercontinuum laser in a spatial frequency domain imaging instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torabzadeh, Mohammad; Stockton, Patrick; Kennedy, Gordon T.; Saager, Rolf B.; Durkin, Anthony J.; Bartels, Randy A.; Tromberg, Bruce J.

2018-02-01

Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI) is a growing field in tissue optics due to its ability to collect continuous spectral features of a sample without a contact probe. Spatial Frequency Domain Imaging (SFDI) is a non-contact wide-field spectral imaging technique that is used to quantitatively characterize tissue structure and chromophore concentration. In this study, we designed a Hyperspectral SFDI (H-SFDI) instrument which integrated a supercontinuum laser source to a wavelength tuning optical configuration and a sCMOS camera to extract spatial (Field of View: 2cm×2cm) and broadband spectral features (580nm-950nm). A preliminary experiment was also performed to integrate the hyperspectral projection unit to a compressed single pixel camera and Light Labeling (LiLa) technique.

Influence of eggs on the aroma composition of a sponge cake and on the aroma release in model studies on flavored sponge cakes.

PubMed

Pozo-Bayón, Maria Angeles; Ruíz-Rodríguez, Alejandro; Pernin, Karine; Cayot, Nathalie

2007-02-21

The use of solvent-assisted flavor evaporation extraction (SAFE) and purge and trap in Tenax allowed the identification of more than 100 volatile compounds in a sponge cake (SC-e). Gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) of the SAFE extracts of crumb and crust were achieved in order to determine the most potent odorants of SC-e. The change in the traditional dough formulation of SC-e in which eggs were substituted by baking powder (SC-b) as the leavening agent produced important changes in some key aroma compounds. The release curves of some aroma compounds-some of them generated during baking and others added in the dough-were followed by cumulative headspace analysis. In the flavored SC-b, the aroma release curves showed a plateau after 15 min of purge, while the release increased proportionally with the purge time in the flavored SC-e. In general, except for some of the aroma compounds with the highest log P values, the rate of release of most of the added and generated aroma compounds was significantly influenced by the changes in the cake formulation. The higher rates of release found for the aroma compounds in SC-b could contribute to explain its rapid exhaustion of aroma compounds in the purge and trap experiments and might lead to poorer sensorial characteristics of this cake during storage.

Breather-to-soliton transformation rules in the hierarchy of nonlinear Schrödinger equations.

PubMed

Chowdury, Amdad; Krolikowski, Wieslaw

2017-06-01

We study the exact first-order soliton and breather solutions of the integrable nonlinear Schrödinger equations hierarchy up to fifth order. We reveal the underlying physical mechanism which transforms a breather into a soliton. Furthermore, we show how the dynamics of the Akhmediev breathers which exist on a constant background as a result of modulation instability, is connected with solitons on a zero background. We also demonstrate that, while a first-order rogue wave can be directly transformed into a soliton, higher-order rogue wave solutions become rational two-soliton solutions with complex collisional structure on a background. Our results will have practical implications in supercontinuum generation, turbulence, and similar other complex nonlinear scenarios.

Production of scandium-44 m and scandium-44 g with deuterons on calcium-44: cross section measurements and production yield calculations.

PubMed

Duchemin, C; Guertin, A; Haddad, F; Michel, N; Métivier, V

2015-09-07

HIGHLIGHTS • Production of Sc-44 m, Sc-44 g and contaminants. • Experimental values determined using the stacked-foil technique. • Thick-Target production Yield (TTY) calculations. • Comparison with the TALYS code version 1.6.Among the large number of radionuclides of medical interest, Sc-44 is promising for PET imaging. Either the ground-state Sc-44 g or the metastable-state Sc-44 m can be used for such applications, depending on the molecule used as vector. This study compares the production rates of both Sc-44 states, when protons or deuterons are used as projectiles on an enriched Calcium-44 target. This work presents the first set of data for the deuteron route. The results are compared with the TALYS code. The Thick-Target production Yields of Sc-44 m and Sc-44 g are calculated and compared with those for the proton route for three different scenarios: the production of Sc-44 g for conventional PET imaging, its production for the new 3 γ imaging technique developed at the SUBATECH laboratory and the production of a Sc-44 m/Sc-44 g in vivo generator for antibody labelling.

Microbial Inactivation by Ultrasound Assisted Supercritical Fluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benedito, Jose; Ortuño, Carmen; Castillo-Zamudio, Rosa Isela; Mulet, Antonio

A method combining supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) and high power ultrasound (HPU) has been developed and tested for microbial/enzyme inactivation purposes, at different process conditions for both liquid and solid matrices. In culture media, using only SC-CO2, the inactivation rate of E. coli and S. cerevisiae increased with pressure and temperature; and the total inactivation (7-8 log-cycles) was attained after 25 and 140 min of SC-CO2 (350 bar, 36 °C) treatment, respectively. Using SC-CO2+HPU, the time for the total inactivation of both microorganisms was reduced to only 1-2 min, at any condition selected. The SC-CO2+HPU inactivation of both microorganisms was slower in juices (avg. 4.9 min) than in culture media (avg. 1.5 min). In solid samples (chicken, turkey ham and dry-cured pork cured ham) treated with SC-CO2 and SC-CO2+HPU, the inactivation rate of E. coli increased with temperature. The application of HPU to the SC-CO2 treatments accelerated the inactivation rate of E. coli and that effect was more pronounced in treatments with isotonic solution surrounding the solid food samples. The application of HPU enhanced the SC-CO2 inactivation mechanisms of microorganisms, generating a vigorous agitation that facilitated the CO2 solubilization and the mass transfer process. The cavitation generated by HPU could damage the cell walls accelerating the extraction of vital constituents and the microbial death. Thus, using the combined technique, reasonable industrial processing times and mild process conditions could be used which could result into a cost reduction and lead to the minimization in the food nutritional and organoleptic changes.

Sertoli cell specific knockdown of RAR-related orphan receptor (ROR) alpha at puberty reduces sperm count in rats.

PubMed

Mandal, Kamal; Sarkar, Rajesh K; Sen Sharma, Souvik; Jain, Ayushi; Majumdar, Subeer S

2018-01-30

Globally, there is an alarming decline in sperm count. Very often hormonal supplementation fails to restore normal sperm count. Sertoli cells (Sc) present within seminiferous tubules provide appropriate niche and factors required for the differentiation of germ cells (Gc) into mature sperm (spermatogenesis). Functionally compromised Sc may be one of the reasons for failure of hormones to facilitate normal spermatogenesis. Although role of secretory proteins and signaling molecules of Sc has been studied well, role of transcription factors regulating sperm count has not been addressed appropriately. Retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor (ROR)-alpha is one of such transcription factors reported in testis but its role in testicular function is not yet known. In a separate study, we found abundant ROR-alpha binding sites on promoter regions of several genes upregulated in pubertal rat Sc as compared to infant Sc. Immunostaining studies also revealed presence of ROR alpha in nucleus of pubertal Sc. We generated a transgenic knockdown rat model expressing shRNA targeted to ROR-alpha under Sc specific promoter, which is transcriptionally active only at and after puberty. ROR-alpha knockdown animals were found to have abnormal association of Sc and Gc, including Gc sloughing and restricted release of sperm. The knockdown animals displayed compromised spermatogenesis leading to significant reduction in sperm count. This is the first report describing the Sc specific role of ROR-alpha in maintaining quantitatively normal sperm output. Identification of various such molecules can generate avenues to limit or reverse an alarmingly declining sperm count witnessed globally in men. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Design of experimental setup for supercritical CO2 jet under high ambient pressure conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Huaizhong; Li, Gensheng; He, Zhenguo; Wang, Haizhu; Zhang, Shikun

2016-12-01

With the commercial extraction of hydrocarbons in shale and tight reservoirs, efficient methods are needed to accelerate developing process. Supercritical CO2 (SC-CO2) jet has been considered as a potential way due to its unique fluid properties. In this article, a new setup is designed for laboratory experiment to research the SC-CO2 jet's characteristics in different jet temperatures, pressures, standoff distances, ambient pressures, etc. The setup is composed of five modules, including SC-CO2 generation system, pure SC-CO2 jet system, abrasive SC-CO2 jet system, CO2 recovery system, and data acquisition system. Now, a series of rock perforating (or case cutting) experiments have been successfully conducted using the setup about pure and abrasive SC-CO2 jet, and the results have proven the great perforating efficiency of SC-CO2 jet and the applications of this setup.

Design of experimental setup for supercritical CO2 jet under high ambient pressure conditions.

PubMed

Shi, Huaizhong; Li, Gensheng; He, Zhenguo; Wang, Haizhu; Zhang, Shikun

2016-12-01

With the commercial extraction of hydrocarbons in shale and tight reservoirs, efficient methods are needed to accelerate developing process. Supercritical CO 2 (SC-CO 2 ) jet has been considered as a potential way due to its unique fluid properties. In this article, a new setup is designed for laboratory experiment to research the SC-CO 2 jet's characteristics in different jet temperatures, pressures, standoff distances, ambient pressures, etc. The setup is composed of five modules, including SC-CO 2 generation system, pure SC-CO 2 jet system, abrasive SC-CO 2 jet system, CO 2 recovery system, and data acquisition system. Now, a series of rock perforating (or case cutting) experiments have been successfully conducted using the setup about pure and abrasive SC-CO 2 jet, and the results have proven the great perforating efficiency of SC-CO 2 jet and the applications of this setup.

Anti-sulfotyrosine antibodies

DOEpatents

Bertozzi, Carolyn R [Berkeley, CA; Kehoe, John [Saint Davids, PA; Bradbury, Andrew M [Santa Fe, NM

2009-09-15

The invention provides anti-sulfotyrosine specific antibodies capable of detecting and isolating polypeptides that are tyrosine-sulfated. The sulfotyrosine antibodies and antibody fragments of the invention may be used to discriminate between the non-sulfated and sulfated forms of such proteins, using any number of immunological assays, such ELISAs, immunoblots, Western Blots, immunoprecipitations, and the like. Using a phage-display system, single chain antibodies (scFvs) were generated and screened against tyrosine-sulfated synthetic peptide antigens, resulting in the isolation of scFvs that specifically recognize sulfotyrosine-containing peptides and/or demonstrate sulfotyrosine-specific binding in tyrosine sulfated proteins. The VH and VL genes from one such sulfotyrosine-specific scFv were employed to generate a full length, sulfotyrosine-specific immunoglobulin.

Polynucleotides encoding anti-sulfotyrosine antibodies

DOEpatents

Bertozzi, Carolyn R [Berkeley, CA; Kehoe, John [Saint Davids, PA; Bradbury, Andrew M [Santa Fe, NM

2011-01-11

The invention provides anti-sulfotyrosine specific antibodies capable of detecting and isolating polypeptides that are tyrosine-sulfated. The sulfotyrosine antibodies and antibody fragments of the invention may be used to discriminate between the non-sulfated and sulfated forms of such proteins, using any number of immunological assays, such ELISAs, immunoblots, Western Blots, immunoprecipitations, and the like. Using a phage-display system, single chain antibodies (scFvs) were generated and screened against tyrosine-sulfated synthetic peptide antigens, resulting in the isolation of scFvs that specifically recognize sulfotyrosine-containing peptides and/or demonstrate sulfotyrosine-specific binding in tyrosine sulfated proteins. The VH and VL genes from one such sulfotyrosine-specific scFv were employed to generate a full length, sulfotyrosine-specific immunoglobulin.

A novel lentiviral scFv display library for rapid optimization and selection of high affinity antibodies.

PubMed

Qudsia, Sehar; Merugu, Siva B; Mangukiya, Hitesh B; Hema, Negi; Wu, Zhenghua; Li, Dawei

2018-04-30

Antibody display libraries have become a popular technique to screen monoclonal antibodies for therapeutic purposes. An important aspect of display technology is to generate an optimization library by changing antibody affinity to antigen through mutagenesis and screening the high affinity antibody. In this study, we report a novel lentivirus display based optimization library antibody in which Agtuzumab scFv is displayed on cell membrane of HEK-293T cells. To generate an optimization library, hotspot mutagenesis was performed to achieve diverse antibody library. Based on sequence analysis of randomly selected clones, library size was estimated approximately to be 1.6 × 10 6 . Lentivirus display vector was used to display scFv antibody on cell surface and flow cytometery was performed to check the antibody affinity to antigen. Membrane bound scFv antibodies were then converted to secreted antibody through cre/loxP recombination. One of the mutant clones, M8 showed higher affinity to antigen in flow cytometery analysis. Further characterization of cellular and secreted scFv through western blot showed that antibody affinity was increased by three fold after mutagenesis. This study shows successful construction of a novel antibody library and suggests that hotspot mutagenesis could prove a useful and rapid optimization tool to generate similar libraries with various degree of antigen affinity. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Schwann cell-specific JAM-C-deficient mice reveal novel expression and functions for JAM-C in peripheral nerves.

PubMed

Colom, Bartomeu; Poitelon, Yannick; Huang, Wenlong; Woodfin, Abigail; Averill, Sharon; Del Carro, Ubaldo; Zambroni, Desirée; Brain, Susan D; Perretti, Mauro; Ahluwalia, Amrita; Priestley, John V; Chavakis, Triantafyllos; Imhof, Beat A; Feltri, M Laura; Nourshargh, Sussan

2012-03-01

Junctional adhesion molecule-C (JAM-C) is an adhesion molecule expressed at junctions between adjacent endothelial and epithelial cells and implicated in multiple inflammatory and vascular responses. In addition, we recently reported on the expression of JAM-C in Schwann cells (SCs) and its importance for the integrity and function of peripheral nerves. To investigate the role of JAM-C in neuronal functions further, mice with a specific deletion of JAM-C in SCs (JAM-C SC KO) were generated. Compared to wild-type (WT) controls, JAM-C SC KO mice showed electrophysiological defects, muscular weakness, and hypersensitivity to mechanical stimuli. In addressing the underlying cause of these defects, nerves from JAM-C SC KO mice were found to have morphological defects in the paranodal region, exhibiting increased nodal length as compared to WTs. The study also reports on previously undetected expressions of JAM-C, namely on perineural cells, and in line with nociception defects of the JAM-C SC KO animals, on finely myelinated sensory nerve fibers. Collectively, the generation and characterization of JAM-C SC KO mice has provided unequivocal evidence for the involvement of SC JAM-C in the fine organization of peripheral nerves and in modulating multiple neuronal responses.

In vitro photoacoustic measurement of hemoglobin oxygen saturation using a single pulsed broadband supercontinuum laser source.

PubMed

Lee, Changho; Jeon, Mansik; Jeon, Min Yong; Kim, Jeehyun; Kim, Chulhong

2014-06-20

We have utilized a single pulsed broadband supercontinuum laser source to photoacoustically sense total hemoglobin concentration (HbT) and oxygen saturation of hemoglobin (SO2) in bloods in vitro. Unlike existing expensive and bulky laser systems typically used for functional photoacoustic imaging (PAI), our laser system is relatively cost-effective and compact. Instead of using two single wavelengths, two wavelength bands were applied to distinguish the concentrations of two different chromophores in the mixture. In addition, we have successfully extracted the total dye concentration and the ratio of the red dye concentration to the total dye concentration in mixed red and blue dye solutions in phantoms. The results indicate that PAI with a cheap and compact fiber based laser source can potentially provide HbT and SO2 in live animals in vivo.

Influence of induced colour centres on the frequency - angular spectrum of a light bullet of mid-IR radiation in lithium fluoride

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chekalin, S. V.; Kompanets, V. O.; Dormidonov, A. E.; Kandidov, V. P.

2017-04-01

The influence of the occurrence of a structure consisting of long-lived colour centres, formed in an LiF crystal upon filamentation of femtosecond mid-IR radiation, on the supercontinuum characteristics is investigated. With an increase in the number of incident pulses, the length and transverse size of the structure of colour centres induced in LiF increase, and the supercontinuum spectrum in the short-wavelength region is markedly transformed due to the occurrence of the waveguide propagation regime, absorption, and scattering of radiation from the newly formed structure of colour centres. Under these conditions, the intensity of the anti-Stokes wing decreases by two orders of magnitude after several tens of pulses. Spectral components arise in the visible range, the angular divergence of which increases with increasing wavelength.

Design and comparative analysis of 10 MW class superconducting wind power generators according to different types of superconducting wires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sung, Hae-Jin; Kim, Gyeong-Hun; Kim, Kwangmin; Park, Minwon; Yu, In-Keun; Kim, Jong-Yul

2013-11-01

Wind turbine concepts can be classified into the geared type and the gearless type. The gearless type wind turbine is more attractive due to advantages of simplified drive train and increased energy yield, and higher reliability because the gearbox is omitted. In addition, this type resolves the weight issue of the wind turbine with the light weight of gearbox. However, because of the low speed operation, this type has disadvantage such as the large diameter and heavy weight of generator. Super-Conducting (SC) wind power generator can reduce the weight and volume of a wind power system. Properties of superconducting wire are very different from each company. This paper considers the design and comparative analysis of 10 MW class SC wind power generators according to different types of SC wires. Super-Conducting Synchronous Generators (SCSGs) using YBCO and Bi-2223 wires are optimized by an optimal method. The magnetic characteristics of the SCSGs are investigated using the finite elements method program. The optimized specifications of the SCSGs are discussed in detail, and the optimization processes can be used effectively to develop large scale wind power generation systems.

Transgene Expression and Host Cell Responses to Replication-Defective, Single-Cycle, and Replication-Competent Adenovirus Vectors.

PubMed

Crosby, Catherine M; Barry, Michael A

2017-02-18

Most adenovirus (Ad) vectors are E1 gene deleted replication defective (RD-Ad) vectors that deliver one transgene to the cell and all expression is based on that one gene. In contrast, E1-intact replication-competent Ad (RC-Ad) vectors replicate their DNA and their transgenes up to 10,000-fold, amplifying transgene expression markedly higher than RD-Ad vectors. While RC-Ad are more potent, they run the real risk of causing adenovirus infections in vector recipients and those that administer them. To gain the benefits of transgene amplification, but avoid the risk of Ad infections, we developed "single cycle" Ad (SC-Ad) vectors. SC-Ads amplify transgene expression and generated markedly stronger and more persistent immune responses than RD-Ad as expected. However, they also unexpectedly generated stronger immune responses than RC-Ad vectors. To explore the basis of this potency here, we compared gene expression and the cellular responses to infection to these vectors in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, in primary human lung epithelial cells, SC- and RC-Ad amplified their genomes more than 400-fold relative to RD-Ad with higher replication by SC-Ad. This replication translated into higher green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression for 48 h by SC- and RC-Ad than by RD-Ad. In vitro, in the absence of an immune system, RD-Ad expression became higher by 72 h coincident with cell death mediated by SC- and RC-Ad and release of transgene product from the dying cells. When the vectors were compared in human THP-1 Lucia- interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) cells, which are a human monocyte cell line that have been modified to quantify ISG activity, RC-Ad6 provoked significantly stronger ISG responses than RD- or SC-Ad. In mice, intravenous or intranasal injection produced up to 100-fold genome replication. Under these in vivo conditions in the presence of the immune system, luciferase expression by RC and SC-Ad was markedly higher than that by RD-Ad. In immunodeficient mice, SC-Ad drove stronger luciferase expression than RC- or RD-Ad. These data demonstrate better transgene expression by SC- and RC-Ad in vitro and in vivo than RD-Ad. This higher expression by the replicating vectors results in a peak of expression within 1 to 2 days followed by cell death of infected cells and release of transgene products. While SC- and RC-Ad expression were similar in mice and in Syrian hamsters, RC-Ad provoked much stronger ISG induction which may explain in part SC-Ad's ability to generate stronger and more persistent immune responses than RC-Ad in Ad permissive hamsters.

A focus on the state of the art of food waste/losses issue and suggestions for future researches.

PubMed

Muriana, Cinzia

2017-10-01

Today, the role of the supply chain (SC) strategies in Food-Waste/Losses (F-W/L) generation is neglected, because F-W/L are generally considered an unavoidable consequence of accidental events. Therefore, only operating plans are today put into practice, which aim at reducing the impact of product losses along the SC. This involves that structured analyses and strategic SC approaches are not available for the prevention/minimization of F-W/L. The paper aims at changing the perspective, and promoting the hypothesis that generation of F-W/L mainly depends on the SC strategies put into practice that are usually optimized on the basis of the market demand. The paper considers the F-W/L an intrinsic characteristic of the SC, which must be put in relation with the market demand and the shelf life of products, for given boundary conditions (legal constraints, politic decisions, climatic and micro macro-economic factors). Thus, the paper aims at reviewing the state of the art of the F-W/L issue, and proposing new research topics in the field of the prevention and minimization of F-W/L, by focusing on: (i) the forecasting of F-W/L, the implementation of adaptive-holistic approaches that model the non-stationary and holistic behaviour of the phenomenon; (ii) the determination of analytical conditions that entail the generation of F-W/L, in relation to the implementation of specific SC strategies; (iii) the study of mathematical models for the assessment of the shelf life, and the evaluation of innovative technologies, which enable the shelf life monitoring; (iv) the study of new shelf life-dependent demand models based on the consumer-utility theory; (v) the redesign of the logistic SC management models, by proposing new SC coordination models, planning and replenishment strategies, and pricing models, for the prevention/minimization of the predictable component of F-W/L; (vi) the design of new risk assessment plans for the management of the accidental component of F-W/L. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Interaction of ultrashort laser pulses and silicon solar cells under short circuit conditions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mundus, M., E-mail: markus.mundus@ise.fraunhofer.de; Giesecke, J. A.; Fischer, P.

Ultrashort pulse lasers are promising tools for numerous measurement purposes. Among other benefits their high peak powers allow for efficient generation of wavelengths in broad spectral ranges and at spectral powers that are orders of magnitude higher than in conventional light sources. Very recently this has been exploited for the establishment of sophisticated measurement facilities for electrical characterization of photovoltaic (PV) devices. As the high peak powers of ultrashort pulses promote nonlinear optical effects they might also give rise to nonlinear interactions with the devices under test that possibly manipulate the measurement outcome. In this paper, we present a comprehensivemore » theoretical and experimental study of the nonlinearities affecting short circuit current (I{sub SC}) measurements of silicon (Si) solar cells. We derive a set of coupled differential equations describing the radiation-device interaction and discuss the nonlinearities incorporated in those. By a semi-analytical approach introducing a quasi-steady-state approximation and integrating a Green's function we solve the system of equations and obtain simulated I{sub SC} values. We validate the theoretical model by I{sub SC} ratios obtained from a double ring resonator setup capable for reproducible generation of various ultrashort pulse trains. Finally, we apply the model to conduct the most prominent comparison of I{sub SC} generated by ultrashort pulses versus continuous illumination. We conclude by the important finding that the nonlinearities induced by ultrashort pulses are negligible for the most common I{sub SC} measurements. However, we also find that more specialized measurements (e.g., of concentrating PV or Si-multijunction devices as well as highly localized electrical characterizations) will be biased by two-photon-absorption distorting the I{sub SC} measurement.« less

Recruitment of the proneural gene scute to the Drosophila sex-determination pathway.

PubMed Central

Wrischnik, Lisa A; Timmer, John R; Megna, Lisa A; Cline, Thomas W

2003-01-01

In flies, scute (sc) works with its paralogs in the achaete-scute-complex (ASC) to direct neuronal development. However, in the family Drosophilidae, sc also acquired a role in the primary event of sex determination, X chromosome counting, by becoming an X chromosome signal element (XSE)-an evolutionary step shown here to have occurred after sc diverged from its closest paralog, achaete (ac). Two temperature-sensitive alleles, sc(sisB2) and sc(sisB3), which disrupt only sex determination, were recovered in a powerful F1 genetic selection and used to investigate how sc was recruited to the sex-determination pathway. sc(sisB2) revealed 3' nontranscribed regulatory sequences likely to be involved. The sc(sisB2) lesion abolished XSE activity when combined with mutations engineered in a sequence upstream of all XSEs. In contrast, changes in Sc protein sequence seem not to have been important for recruitment. The observation that the other new allele, sc(sisB3), eliminates the C-terminal half of Sc without affecting neurogenesis and that sc(sisB1), the most XSE-specific allele previously available, is a nonsense mutant, would seem to suggest the opposite, but we show that housefly Sc can substitute for fruit fly Sc in sex determination, despite lacking Drosophilidae-specific conserved residues in its C-terminal half. Lack of synergistic lethality among mutations in sc, twist, and dorsal argue against a proposed role for sc in mesoderm formation that had seemed potentially relevant to sex-pathway recruitment. The screen that yielded new sc alleles also generated autosomal duplications that argue against the textbook view that fruit fly sex signal evolution recruited a set of autosomal signal elements comparable to the XSEs. PMID:14704182

Beneficial effects of substituting trivalent ions in the B-site of La0.5Sr0.5Mn1-xAxO3 (A = Al, Ga, Sc) on the thermochemical generation of CO and H2 from CO2 and H2O.

PubMed

Dey, Sunita; Naidu, B S; Rao, C N R

2016-02-14

The effect of substitution of Al(3+), Ga(3+) and Sc(3+) ions in the Mn(3+) site of La0.5Sr0.5MnO3 on the thermochemical splitting of CO2 to generate CO has been studied in detail. Both La0.5Sr0.5Mn1-xGaxO3 and La0.5Sr0.5Mn1-xScxO3 give high yields of O2 and generate CO more efficiently than La0.5Sr0.5Mn1-xAlxO3 or the parent La0.5Sr0.5MnO3. Substitution of even 5% Sc(3+) (x = 0.05) results in a remarkable improvement in performance. Thus La0.5Sr0.5Mn0.95Sc0.05O3 produces 417 μmol g(-1) of O2 and 545 μmol g(-1) of CO, respectively, i.e. 2 and 1.7 times more O2 and CO than La0.5Sr0.5MnO3. This manganite also generates H2 satisfactorily by the thermochemical splitting of H2O.

Evaluation of the sparse coding super-resolution method for improving image quality of up-sampled images in computed tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ota, Junko; Umehara, Kensuke; Ishimaru, Naoki; Ohno, Shunsuke; Okamoto, Kentaro; Suzuki, Takanori; Shirai, Naoki; Ishida, Takayuki

2017-02-01

As the capability of high-resolution displays grows, high-resolution images are often required in Computed Tomography (CT). However, acquiring high-resolution images takes a higher radiation dose and a longer scanning time. In this study, we applied the Sparse-coding-based Super-Resolution (ScSR) method to generate high-resolution images without increasing the radiation dose. We prepared the over-complete dictionary learned the mapping between low- and highresolution patches and seek a sparse representation of each patch of the low-resolution input. These coefficients were used to generate the high-resolution output. For evaluation, 44 CT cases were used as the test dataset. We up-sampled images up to 2 or 4 times and compared the image quality of the ScSR scheme and bilinear and bicubic interpolations, which are the traditional interpolation schemes. We also compared the image quality of three learning datasets. A total of 45 CT images, 91 non-medical images, and 93 chest radiographs were used for dictionary preparation respectively. The image quality was evaluated by measuring peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and structure similarity (SSIM). The differences of PSNRs and SSIMs between the ScSR method and interpolation methods were statistically significant. Visual assessment confirmed that the ScSR method generated a high-resolution image with sharpness, whereas conventional interpolation methods generated over-smoothed images. To compare three different training datasets, there were no significance between the CT, the CXR and non-medical datasets. These results suggest that the ScSR provides a robust approach for application of up-sampling CT images and yields substantial high image quality of extended images in CT.

Proton-induced production and radiochemical isolation of 44Ti from scandium metal targets for 44Ti/44Sc generator development.

PubMed

Radchenko, Valery; Engle, Jonathan W; Medvedev, Dmitri G; Maassen, Joel M; Naranjo, Cleo M; Unc, George A; Meyer, Catherine A L; Mastren, Tara; Brugh, Mark; Mausner, Leonard; Cutler, Cathy S; Birnbaum, Eva R; John, Kevin D; Nortier, F Meiring; Fassbender, Michael E

2017-07-01

Scandium-44g (half-life 3.97h) shows promise for application in positron emission tomography (PET), due to favorable decay parameters. One of the sources of 44g Sc is the 44 Ti/ 44g Sc generator, which can conveniently provide this radioisotope on a daily basis at a diagnostic facility. Titanium-44 (half-life 60.0 a), in turn, can be obtained via proton irradiation of scandium metal targets. A substantial 44 Ti product batch, however, requires high beam currents, long irradiation times and an elaborate chemical procedure for 44 Ti isolation and purification. This study describes the production of a combined 175MBq (4.7mCi) batch yield of 44 Ti in week long proton irradiations at the Los Alamos Isotope Production Facility (LANL-IPF) and the Brookhaven Linac Isotope Producer (BNL-BLIP). A two-step ion exchange chromatography based chemical separation method is introduced: first, a coarse separation of 44 Ti via anion exchange sorption in concentrated HCl results in a 44 Tc/Sc separation factor of 10 2 -10 3 . A second, cation exchange based step in HCl media is then applied for 44 Ti fine purification from residual Sc mass. In summary, this method yields a 90-97% 44 Ti recovery with an overall Ti/Sc separation factor of ≥10 6 . Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Proton induced production and radiochemical isolation of 44Ti from scandium metal targets for 44Ti/ 44Sc generator development

DOE PAGES

Radchenko, Valery; Engle, Jonathan Ward; Medvedev, Dmitri G.; ...

2017-04-07

Scandium-44 g (half-life 3.97 h) shows promise for application in positron emission tomography (PET), due to favorable decay parameters. One of the sources of 44gSc is the 44Ti/ 44gSc generator, which can conveniently provide this radioisotope on a daily basis at a diagnostic facility. Titanium-44 (half-life 60.0 a), in turn, can be obtained via proton irradiation of scandium metal targets. A substantial 44Ti product batch, however, requires high beam currents, long irradiation times and an elaborate chemical procedure for 44Ti isolation and purification. This study describes the production of a combined 175 MBq (4.7 mCi) batch yield of 44Ti inmore » week long proton irradiations at the Los Alamos Isotope Production Facility (LANL-IPF) and the Brookhaven Linac Isotope Producer (BNL-BLIP). A two-step ion exchange chromatography based chemical separation method is introduced: first, a coarse separation of 44Ti via anion exchange sorption in concentrated HCl results in a 44Tc/Sc separation factor of 10 2–10 3. A second, cation exchange based step in HCl media is then applied for 44Ti fine purification from residual Sc mass. In conclusion, this method yields a 90–97% 44Ti recovery with an overall Ti/Sc separation factor of ≥10 6.« less

Bright half-cycle optical radiation from relativistic wavebreaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miao, Bo; Goers, Andy; Hine, George; Feder, Linus; Salehi, Fatholah; Wahlstrand, Jared; Milchberg, Howard

2015-11-01

Wavebreaking injection of electrons into relativistic plasma wakes generated in near-critical density hydrogen plasmas by sub-terawatt laser pulses is observed to generate an extremely energetic and ultra-broadband radiation flash. The flash is coherent, with a bandwidth of Δλ / λ ~ 0 . 7 consistent with half-cycle optical emission of duration ~ 1 fs from violent unidirectional acceleration of electrons to light speed from rest over a distance much less than the radiated wavelength. We studied the temporal duration and coherence of the flash by interfering it in the frequency domain with a well-characterized Xe supercontinuum pulse. Fringes across the full flash spectrum were observed with high visibility, and the extracted flash spectral phase supports it being a nearly transform-limited pulse. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence of bright half-cycle optical emission. This research is supported by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, the US Department of Energy, and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.

Ultrafast nonlinear optofluidics in selectively liquid-filled photonic crystal fibers.

PubMed

Vieweg, M; Gissibl, T; Pricking, S; Kuhlmey, B T; Wu, D C; Eggleton, B J; Giessen, H

2010-11-22

Selective filling of photonic crystal fibers with different media enables a plethora of possibilities in linear and nonlinear optics. Using two-photon direct-laser writing we demonstrate full flexibility of individual closing of holes and subsequent filling of photonic crystal fibers with highly nonlinear liquids. We experimentally demonstrate solitonic supercontinuum generation over 600 nm bandwidth using a compact femtosecond oscillator as pump source. Encapsulating our fibers at the ends we realize a compact ultrafast nonlinear optofluidic device. Our work is fundamentally important to the field of nonlinear optics as it provides a new platform for investigations of spatio-temporal nonlinear effects and underpins new applications in sensing and communications. Selective filling of different linear and nonlinear liquids, metals, gases, gain media, and liquid crystals into photonic crystal fibers will be the basis of new reconfigurable and versatile optical fiber devices with unprecedented performance. Control over both temporal and spatial dispersion as well as linear and nonlinear coupling will lead to the generation of spatial-temporal solitons, so-called optical bullets.

Highly non-linear solid core photonic crystal fiber with one nano hole

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gangwar, Rahul Kumar, E-mail: rahul0889@gmail.com; Bhardwaj, Vanita, E-mail: bhardwajphy12@gmail.com; Singh, Vinod Kumar, E-mail: singh.vk.ap@ismdhanbad.co.in

2015-08-28

The numerical study of newly designed solid core photonic crystal fiber (SCPCF) having three hexagonal air hole rings in cladding region and one small nano hole at the center are presented. By using full vectorial finite element method (FV-FEM), we analyses the optical properties like effective area, nonlinearity and confinement loss of the proposed PCF. Results show that the change in core diameter controls the effective area, nonlinearity and confinement loss. A low effective area (3.34 µm{sup 2}), high nonlinearity (36.34 W{sup −1}km{sup −1}) and low confinement loss (0.00106 dB/km) are achieved at the communication wavelength 1.55 µm for themore » SCPCF having core air hole diameter 0.10 µm, cladding air holes diameter 1.00 µm and pitch 2.50 µm. This type of PCF is very useful in non-linear applications such as supercontinuum generation, four wave mixing, second harmonic generation etc.« less

Temporal reflection as a spectral-broadening mechanism in dual-pumped dispersion-decreasing fibers and its connection to dispersive waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antikainen, Aku; Arteaga-Sierra, Francisco R.; Agrawal, Govind P.

2017-03-01

We show that temporal reflections off a moving refractive index barrier play a major role in the spectral broadening of a dual-wavelength input inside a highly nonlinear, dispersion-decreasing fiber. We also find that a recently developed linear theory of temporal reflections works well in predicting the reflected frequencies. Successive temporal reflections from multiple closely spaced solitons create a blueshifted spectral band, while continuous narrowing of solitons inside the dispersion-decreasing fiber enhances Raman-induced redshifts, leading to supercontinuum generation at relatively low pump powers. We also show how dispersive wave emission can be considered a special case of the more general process of temporal reflections. Hence our findings have implications on all systems able to support solitons.

Towards the mid-infrared optical biopsy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seddon, Angela B.; Benson, Trevor M.; Sujecki, Slawomir; Abdel-Moneim, Nabil; Tang, Zhuoqi; Furniss, David; Sojka, Lukasz; Stone, Nick; Jayakrupakar, Nallala; Lloyd, Gavin R.; Lindsay, Ian; Ward, Jon; Farries, Mark; Moselund, Peter M.; Napier, Bruce; Lamrini, Samir; Møller, Uffe; Kubat, Irnis; Petersen, Christian R.; Bang, Ole

2016-03-01

We are establishing a new paradigm in mid-infrared molecular sensing, mapping and imaging to open up the midinfrared spectral region for in vivo (i.e. in person) medical diagnostics and surgery. Thus, we are working towards the mid-infrared optical biopsy (`opsy' look at, bio the biology) in situ in the body for real-time diagnosis. This new paradigm will be enabled through focused development of devices and systems which are robust, functionally designed, safe, compact and cost effective and are based on active and passive mid-infrared optical fibers. In particular, this will enable early diagnosis of external cancers, mid-infrared detection of cancer-margins during external surgery for precise removal of diseased tissue, in one go during the surgery, and mid-infrared endoscopy for early diagnosis of internal cancers and their precision removal. The mid-infrared spectral region has previously lacked portable, bright sources. We set a record in demonstrating extreme broad-band supercontinuum generated light 1.4 to 13.3 microns in a specially engineered, high numerical aperture mid-infrared optical fiber. The active mid-infrared fiber broadband supercontinuum for the first time offers the possibility of a bright mid-infrared wideband source in a portable package as a first step for medical fiber-based systems operating in the mid-infrared. Moreover, mid-infrared molecular mapping and imaging is potentially a disruptive technology to give improved monitoring of the environment, energy efficiency, security, agriculture and in manufacturing and chemical processing. This work is in part supported by the European Commission: Framework Seven (FP7) Large-Scale Integrated Project MINERVA: MId-to-NEaR- infrared spectroscopy for improVed medical diAgnostics (317803; www.minerva-project.eu).

Testicular histomorphometrics including Sertoli cell quantitation for evaluating hatchability and fertility issues in commercial breeder-broiler roosters.

PubMed

Wilson, Floyd D; Johnson, Deirdre I; Magee, Danny L; Hoerr, Frederic J

2018-05-01

Testicular histomorphometric methods were developed for the investigation of fertility and hatchability problems in commercial broiler-breeder roosters. Sertoli cell (SC) evaluations were emphasized in view of their role in influencing embryonic testicular organogenesis and spermatogenesis in adults. H&E stained sections prepared from formalized tissues were examined. SC evaluations were mostly made from computer generated images using image analysis software, but were also compared to direct counting with ocular grid reticle. Other measurements were germinal epithelial and total seminiferous tubule widths, quantification of individual spermatozoa and sperm clusters, and determinations of stromal area. Age-associated changes in SC occurred between 15 to 54 wk of age. A significant reduction in SC concentration occurred at 29 wk of age (P < 0.001) that corresponded with the histologic initiation of spermatogenesis. Expanded morphometric evaluations were performed on 59-week-old roosters comparing a flock having good body condition and footpad scores with normal testicular and body weights (optimal profile or OP group) to a second flock demonstrating relatively poor expression of these parameters and decreased fertility (sub-optimal profile or SOP group). Significant reductions (P < 0.05) in SC concentration, spermatozoa, and tubular widths, but an increased percentage of stroma area occurred in SOP compared to OP flocks. SC results also correlated well with testes weight. A unique finding was a significant relationship between decreasing SC concentration and increasing severity scores for footpad lesions. Differences in all histomorphometric parameters occurred between flocks demonstrating good hatchability compared to flocks exhibiting either low or decreasing hatchability. Significant reductions in SC and other morphometric parameters were observed for the poor relative to good hatchability group. A strong positive association was observed for SC results using computer generated images and direct reticle ocular counting (R = 0.80). Replicate counts on control sections demonstrated generally good reproducibility of methods between experiments. The findings are supportive of the value of testicular histomorphometrics for evaluations of hatchability issues in commercial roosters.

Atomic physics modeling of transmission spectra of Sc-doped aerogel foams to support OMEGA experiments

DOE PAGES

Johns, Heather Marie; Lanier, Nicholas Edward; Kline, John L.; ...

2016-09-07

Here, we present synthetic transmission spectra generated with PrismSPECT utilizing both the ATBASE model and the Los Alamos opacity library (OPLIB) to evaluate whether an alternative choice in atomic data will impact modeling of experimental data from radiation transport experiments using Sc-doped aerogel foams (ScSi 6O 12 at 75 mg/cm 3 density). We have determined that in the 50-200 eV T e range there is a significant difference in the 1s-3p spectra, especially below 100 eV, and for T e = 200 eV above 5000 eV in photon energy. Examining synthetic spectra generated using OPLIB with 300 resolving power revealsmore » spectral sensitivity to T e changes of ~3 eV.« less

Atomic physics modeling of transmission spectra of Sc-doped aerogel foams to support OMEGA experiments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johns, Heather Marie; Lanier, Nicholas Edward; Kline, John L.

Here, we present synthetic transmission spectra generated with PrismSPECT utilizing both the ATBASE model and the Los Alamos opacity library (OPLIB) to evaluate whether an alternative choice in atomic data will impact modeling of experimental data from radiation transport experiments using Sc-doped aerogel foams (ScSi 6O 12 at 75 mg/cm 3 density). We have determined that in the 50-200 eV T e range there is a significant difference in the 1s-3p spectra, especially below 100 eV, and for T e = 200 eV above 5000 eV in photon energy. Examining synthetic spectra generated using OPLIB with 300 resolving power revealsmore » spectral sensitivity to T e changes of ~3 eV.« less

Mid-infrared frequency comb via coherent dispersive wave generation in silicon nitride nanophotonic waveguides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Hairun; Herkommer, Clemens; Billat, Adrien; Grassani, Davide; Zhang, Chuankun; Pfeiffer, Martin H. P.; Weng, Wenle; Brès, Camille-Sophie; Kippenberg, Tobias J.

2018-06-01

Mid-infrared optical frequency combs are of significant interest for molecular spectroscopy due to the large absorption of molecular vibrational modes on the one hand, and the ability to implement superior comb-based spectroscopic modalities with increased speed, sensitivity and precision on the other hand. Here, we demonstrate a simple, yet effective, method for the direct generation of mid-infrared optical frequency combs in the region from 2.5 to 4.0 μm (that is, 2,500-4,000 cm-1), covering a large fraction of the functional group region, from a conventional and compact erbium-fibre-based femtosecond laser in the telecommunication band (that is, 1.55 μm). The wavelength conversion is based on dispersive wave generation within the supercontinuum process in an unprecedented large-cross-section silicon nitride (Si3N4) waveguide with the dispersion lithographically engineered. The long-wavelength dispersive wave can perform as a mid-infrared frequency comb, whose coherence is demonstrated via optical heterodyne measurements. Such an approach can be considered as an alternative option to mid-infrared frequency comb generation. Moreover, it has the potential to realize compact dual-comb spectrometers. The generated combs also have a fine teeth-spacing, making them suitable for gas-phase analysis.

Photomechanical drug delivery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doukas, Apostolos G.; Lee, Shun

2000-05-01

Photomechanical waves (PW) are generated by Q-switched or mode-locked lasers. Ablation is a reliable method for generating PWs with consistent characteristics. Depending on the laser wavelength and target material, PWs with different parameters can be generated which allows the investigation of PWs with cells and tissue. PWs have been shown to permeabilize the stratum corneum (SC) in vivo and facilitate the transport of drugs into the skin. Once a drug has diffused into the dermis it can enter the vasculature, thus producing a systemic effect. Fluorescence microscopy of biopsies show that 40-kDa molecules can be delivered to a depth of > 300 micrometers into the viable skin of rats. Many important drugs such as insulin, and erythropoietin are smaller or comparable in size, making the PWs attractive for transdermal drug delivery. There are three possible pathways through the SC: Transappendageal via hair follicles or other appendages, transcellular through the corneocytes, and intercellular via the extracellular matrix. The intracellular route appears to be the most likely pathway of drug delivery through the SC.

Enhanced ADCC Activity of Affinity Maturated and Fc-Engineered Mini-Antibodies Directed against the AML Stem Cell Antigen CD96

PubMed Central

Kellner, Christian; Bräutigam, Joachim; Staudinger, Matthias; Schub, Natalie; Peipp, Matthias; Gramatzki, Martin; Humpe, Andreas

2012-01-01

CD96, a cell surface antigen recently described to be preferentially expressed on acute myeloid leukemia (AML) leukemic stem cells (LSC) may represent an interesting target structure for the development of antibody-based therapeutic approaches. The v-regions from the CD96-specific hybridoma TH-111 were isolated and used to generate a CD96-specific single chain fragment of the variable regions (scFv). An affinity maturated variant resulting in 4-fold enhanced CD96-binding was generated by random mutagenesis and stringent selection using phage display. The affinity maturated scFv CD96-S32F was used to generate bivalent mini-antibodies by genetically fusing an IgG1 wild type Fc region or a variant with enhanced CD16a binding. Antibody dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) experiments revealed that Fc engineering was essential to trigger significant effector cell-mediated lysis when the wild type scFv was used. The mini-antibody variant generated by fusing the affinity-maturated scFv with the optimized Fc variant demonstrated the highest ADCC activity (2.3-fold enhancement in efficacy). In conclusion, our data provide proof of concept that CD96 could serve as a target structure for effector cell-mediated lysis and demonstrate that both enhancing affinity for CD96 and for CD16a resulted in mini-antibodies with the highest cytolytic potential. PMID:22879978

Anomalous Lightning Behavior During the 26-27 August 2007 Northern Great Plains Severe Weather Event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Logan, Timothy

2018-02-01

Positive polarity lightning strokes can be useful indicators of thunderstorm behavior. A combination of National Lightning Detection Network and Next Generation Radar retrievals is used to analyze the anomalous positive cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning behavior of a rare, late summer severe weather event that occurred on 26-27 August 2007 in the Northern Great Plains region of the United States and southern Canada. Seven discrete supercells (SC1-SC7) exhibiting frequent and intense lightning were responsible for numerous reports of severe weather (e.g., severe hail and 16 tornadoes) including catastrophic damage to the town of Northwood, North Dakota, caused by SC2. Biomass burning smoke from wildfires in Idaho and Montana was present prior to convective initiation. A positive CG lightning stroke rate of nearly 30 strokes per minute was observed 10 min before the EF4 tornado struck Northwood. SC2 was also responsible for all the reports of tornadoes exceeding an EF2 rating. The strongest peak currents (>200 kA) were observed in SC1-SC4 with SC2 having a maximum value of 280 kA. SC2 dominated the statistics of the line of supercells accounting for 27% of all CG lightning strokes. Positive CG lightning accounted for over 40% of all CG lightning strokes in SC4-SC7 on average, and the maximum exceeded 90% in SC6 and SC7. Increasing positive CG lightning dominance was correlated with an increasing northward gradient of smoke aerosol loading in addition to severe weather being reported before the maximum in positive CG lighting stroke rate (SC5 and SC6). This suggests that a complex combination of synoptic forcing and aerosol perturbation likely led to the observed anomalous positive CG lightning behavior in the supercells.

Production of in vivo biotinylated scFv specific to almond (Prunus dulcis) proteins by recombinant Pichia pastoris.

PubMed

de la Cruz, Silvia; Alcocer, Marcos; Madrid, Raquel; García, Aina; Martín, Rosario; González, Isabel; García, Teresa

2016-06-10

The methylotropic yeast Pichia pastoris has demonstrated its suitability for large-scale production of recombinant proteins. As an eukaryotic organism P. pastoris presents a series of advantages at expression and processing of heterologous proteins when compared with Escherichia coli. In this work, P. pastoris has been used to express a scFv from a human synthetic library previously shown to bind almond proteins. In order to facilitate purification and post processing manipulations, the scFv was engineered with a C-terminal tag and biotinylated in vivo. After purification, biotinylated scFv were bound to avidin conjugated with HRP producing a multimeric scFv. The multimeric scFv showed to maintain their ability to recognize almond protein when assayed in ELISA, reaching a LOD of 470mgkg(-1). This study describes an easy method to produce large quantities of in vivo biotinylated scFv in P. pastoris. By substituting the enzyme or fluorochromes linked to avidin, it will be possible to generate a diverse number of multimeric scFv as probes to suit different analytical platforms in the detection of almond in food products. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Observation weights unlock bulk RNA-seq tools for zero inflation and single-cell applications.

PubMed

Van den Berge, Koen; Perraudeau, Fanny; Soneson, Charlotte; Love, Michael I; Risso, Davide; Vert, Jean-Philippe; Robinson, Mark D; Dudoit, Sandrine; Clement, Lieven

2018-02-26

Dropout events in single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) cause many transcripts to go undetected and induce an excess of zero read counts, leading to power issues in differential expression (DE) analysis. This has triggered the development of bespoke scRNA-seq DE methods to cope with zero inflation. Recent evaluations, however, have shown that dedicated scRNA-seq tools provide no advantage compared to traditional bulk RNA-seq tools. We introduce a weighting strategy, based on a zero-inflated negative binomial model, that identifies excess zero counts and generates gene- and cell-specific weights to unlock bulk RNA-seq DE pipelines for zero-inflated data, boosting performance for scRNA-seq.

Sustainer electric propulsion system application for spacecraft attitude control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Obukhov, V. A.; Pokryshkin, A. I.; Popov, G. A.; Yashina, N. V.

2010-07-01

Application of electric propulsion system (EPS) requires spacecraft (SC) equipping with large solar panels (SP) for the power supply to electric propulsions. This makes the problem of EPS-equipped SC control at the insertion stage more difficult to solve than in the case of SC equipped with chemical engines, because in addition to the SC attitude control associated with the mission there appears necessity in keeping SP orientation to Sun that is necessary for generation of electric power sufficient for the operation of service systems, purpose-oriented equipment, and EPS. The theoretical study of the control problem is the most interesting for a non-coplanar transfer from high elliptic orbit (HEO) to geostationary orbit (GSO).

Subtractive cloning of cDNA from Aspergillus oryzae differentially regulated between solid-state culture and liquid (submerged) culture.

PubMed

Akao, Takeshi; Gomi, Katsuya; Goto, Kuniyasu; Okazaki, Naoto; Akita, Osamu

2002-07-01

In solid-state cultures (SC), Aspergillus oryzae shows characteristics such as high-level production and secretion of enzymes and hyphal differentiation with asexual development which are absent in liquid (submerged) culture (LC). It was predicted that many of the genes involved in the characteristics of A. oryzae in SC are differentially expressed between SC and LC. We generated two subtracted cDNA libraries with bi-directional cDNA subtractive hybridizations to isolate and identify such genes. Among them, we identified genes upregulated in or specific to SC, such as the AOS ( A. oryzae SC-specific gene) series, and those downregulated or not expressed in SC, such as the AOL ( A. oryzae LC-specific) series. Sequencing analyses revealed that the AOS series and the AOL series contain genes encoding extra- and intracellular enzymes and transport proteins. However, half were functionally unclassified by nucleotide sequences. Also, by expression profile, the AOS series comprised two groups. These gene products' molecular functions and physiological roles in SC await further investigation.

Linking express saccade occurance to stimulus properties and sensorimotor integration in the superior colliculus.

PubMed

Marino, Robert A; Levy, Ron; Munoz, Douglas P

2015-08-01

Express saccades represent the fastest possible eye movements to visual targets with reaction times that approach minimum sensory-motor conduction delays. Previous work in monkeys has identified two specific neural signals in the superior colliculus (SC: a midbrain sensorimotor integration structure involved in gaze control) that are required to execute express saccades: 1) previsual activity consisting of a low-frequency increase in action potentials in sensory-motor neurons immediately before the arrival of a visual response; and 2) a transient visual-sensory response consisting of a high-frequency burst of action potentials in visually responsive neurons resulting from the appearance of a visual target stimulus. To better understand how these two neural signals interact to produce express saccades, we manipulated the arrival time and magnitude of visual responses in the SC by altering target luminance and we examined the corresponding influences on SC activity and express saccade generation. We recorded from saccade neurons with visual-, motor-, and previsual-related activity in the SC of monkeys performing the gap saccade task while target luminance was systematically varied between 0.001 and 42.5 cd/m(2) against a black background (∼0.0001 cd/m(2)). Our results demonstrated that 1) express saccade latencies were linked directly to the arrival time in the SC of visual responses produced by abruptly appearing visual stimuli; 2) express saccades were generated toward both dim and bright targets whenever sufficient previsual activity was present; and 3) target luminance altered the likelihood of producing an express saccade. When an express saccade was generated, visuomotor neurons increased their activity immediately before the arrival of the visual response in the SC and saccade initiation. Furthermore, the visual and motor responses of visuomotor neurons merged into a single burst of action potentials, while the visual response of visual-only neurons was unaffected. A linear combination model was used to test which SC signals best predicted the likelihood of producing an express saccade. In addition to visual response magnitude and previsual activity of saccade neurons, the model identified presaccadic activity (activity occurring during the 30-ms epoch immediately before saccade initiation) as a third important signal for predicting express saccades. We conclude that express saccades can be predicted by visual, previsual, and presaccadic signals recorded from visuomotor neurons in the intermediate layers of the SC. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

Linking express saccade occurance to stimulus properties and sensorimotor integration in the superior colliculus

PubMed Central

Levy, Ron; Munoz, Douglas P.

2015-01-01

Express saccades represent the fastest possible eye movements to visual targets with reaction times that approach minimum sensory-motor conduction delays. Previous work in monkeys has identified two specific neural signals in the superior colliculus (SC: a midbrain sensorimotor integration structure involved in gaze control) that are required to execute express saccades: 1) previsual activity consisting of a low-frequency increase in action potentials in sensory-motor neurons immediately before the arrival of a visual response; and 2) a transient visual-sensory response consisting of a high-frequency burst of action potentials in visually responsive neurons resulting from the appearance of a visual target stimulus. To better understand how these two neural signals interact to produce express saccades, we manipulated the arrival time and magnitude of visual responses in the SC by altering target luminance and we examined the corresponding influences on SC activity and express saccade generation. We recorded from saccade neurons with visual-, motor-, and previsual-related activity in the SC of monkeys performing the gap saccade task while target luminance was systematically varied between 0.001 and 42.5 cd/m2 against a black background (∼0.0001 cd/m2). Our results demonstrated that 1) express saccade latencies were linked directly to the arrival time in the SC of visual responses produced by abruptly appearing visual stimuli; 2) express saccades were generated toward both dim and bright targets whenever sufficient previsual activity was present; and 3) target luminance altered the likelihood of producing an express saccade. When an express saccade was generated, visuomotor neurons increased their activity immediately before the arrival of the visual response in the SC and saccade initiation. Furthermore, the visual and motor responses of visuomotor neurons merged into a single burst of action potentials, while the visual response of visual-only neurons was unaffected. A linear combination model was used to test which SC signals best predicted the likelihood of producing an express saccade. In addition to visual response magnitude and previsual activity of saccade neurons, the model identified presaccadic activity (activity occurring during the 30-ms epoch immediately before saccade initiation) as a third important signal for predicting express saccades. We conclude that express saccades can be predicted by visual, previsual, and presaccadic signals recorded from visuomotor neurons in the intermediate layers of the SC. PMID:26063770

Surface modifications of photoanodes in dye sensitized solar cells: enhanced light harvesting and reduced recombination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saxena, Vibha; Aswal, D. K.

2015-06-01

In a quest to harvest solar power, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have potential for low-cost eco-friendly photovoltaic devices. The major processes which govern the efficiency of a DSSC are photoelectron generation, injection of photo-generated electrons to the conduction band (CB) of the mesoporous nanocrystalline semiconductor (nc-SC); transport of CB electrons through nc-SC and subsequent collection of CB electrons at the counter electrode (CE) through the external circuit; and dye regeneration by redox couple or hole transport layer (HTL). Most of these processes occur at various interfaces of the photoanode. In addition, recombination losses of photo-generated electrons with either dye or redox molecules take place at the interfaces. Therefore, one of the key requirements for high efficiency is to improve light harvesting of the photoanode and to reduce the recombination losses at various interfaces. In this direction, surface modification of the photoanode is the simplest method among the various other approaches available in the literature. In this review, we present a comprehensive discussion on surface modification of the photoanode, which has been adopted in the literature for not only enhancing light harvesting but also reducing recombination. Various approaches towards surface modification of the photoanode discussed are (i) fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO)/nc-SC interface modified via a compact layer of semiconductor material which blocks exposed sites of FTO to electrolyte (or HTL), (ii) nc-SC/dye interface modification either through acid treatment resulting in enhanced dye loading due to a positively charged surface or by depositing insulating/semiconducting blocking layer on the nc-SC surface, which acts as a tunneling barrier for recombination, (iii) nc-SC/dye interface modified by employing co-adsorbents which helps in reducing the dye aggregation and thereby recombination, and (iv) dye/electrolyte (or dye/HTL) interface modification using additives which provides surface passivation as well as positive movement of the nc-SC Fermi level owing to negative charge at the surface and hence improves light harvesting and reduced recombination. Finally, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of various approaches towards high-efficiency DSSCs.

Atomic physics modeling of transmission spectra of Sc-doped aerogel foams to support OMEGA experiments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johns, H. M., E-mail: hjohns@lanl.gov; Lanier, N. E.; Kline, J. L.

We present synthetic transmission spectra generated with PrismSPECT utilizing both the ATBASE model and the Los Alamos opacity library (OPLIB) to evaluate whether an alternative choice in atomic data will impact modeling of experimental data from radiation transport experiments using Sc-doped aerogel foams (ScSi{sub 6}O{sub 12} at 75 mg/cm{sup 3} density). We have determined that in the 50-200 eV T{sub e} range there is a significant difference in the 1s-3p spectra, especially below 100 eV, and for T{sub e} = 200 eV above 5000 eV in photon energy. Examining synthetic spectra generated using OPLIB with 300 resolving power reveals spectralmore » sensitivity to T{sub e} changes of ∼3 eV.« less

Automatic Generation of Taylor Series in Pascal-SC: Basic Operations and Applications to Ordinary Differential Equations.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-03-01

facilities built into the language compiler itself can be used to generate _imanchAe-C-d, for the evaluatiomn la ’ fficients.) Examples of such languages...Dy mtt ss. I I I I I I I I I,ase.TC11) - 0 1 I =- M 3 (SM) By Mse rede a• I RA IQ BZ yrcrec Table 4.1. Resolution of Cases for e. Consider a series...von Gudenberg. Gesmte Arithmetik des PASCAL-SC Rechners: Benutzerhandbuch. Institute for Applied Mathematics, University of Karlsruhe, 1981. -33- 4

Toward low-cost affinity reagents: lyophilized yeast-scFv probes specific for pathogen antigens.

PubMed

Gray, Sean A; Weigel, Kris M; Ali, Ibne K M; Lakey, Annie A; Capalungan, Jeremy; Domingo, Gonzalo J; Cangelosi, Gerard A

2012-01-01

The generation of affinity reagents, usually monoclonal antibodies, remains a critical bottleneck in biomedical research and diagnostic test development. Recombinant antibody-like proteins such as scFv have yet to replace traditional monoclonal antibodies in antigen detection applications, in large part because of poor performance of scFv in solution. To address this limitation, we have developed assays that use whole yeast cells expressing scFv on their surfaces (yeast-scFv) in place of soluble purified scFv or traditional monoclonal antibodies. In this study, a nonimmune library of human scFv displayed on the surfaces of yeast cells was screened for clones that bind to recombinant cyst proteins of Entamoeba histolytica, an enteric pathogen of humans. Selected yeast-scFv clones were stabilized by lyophilization and used in detection assay formats in which the yeast-scFv served as solid support-bound monoclonal antibodies. Specific binding of antigen to the yeast-scFv was detected by staining with rabbit polyclonal antibodies. In flow cytometry-based assays, lyophilized yeast-scFv reagents retained full binding activity and specificity for their cognate antigens after 4 weeks of storage at room temperature in the absence of desiccants or stabilizers. Because flow cytometry is not available to all potential assay users, an immunofluorescence assay was also developed that detects antigen with similar sensitivity and specificity. Antigen-specific whole-cell yeast-scFv reagents can be selected from nonimmune libraries in 2-3 weeks, produced in vast quantities, and packaged in lyophilized form for extended shelf life. Lyophilized yeast-scFv show promise as low cost, renewable alternatives to monoclonal antibodies for diagnosis and research.

Single-cell Transcriptome Study as Big Data

PubMed Central

Yu, Pingjian; Lin, Wei

2016-01-01

The rapid growth of single-cell RNA-seq studies (scRNA-seq) demands efficient data storage, processing, and analysis. Big-data technology provides a framework that facilitates the comprehensive discovery of biological signals from inter-institutional scRNA-seq datasets. The strategies to solve the stochastic and heterogeneous single-cell transcriptome signal are discussed in this article. After extensively reviewing the available big-data applications of next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based studies, we propose a workflow that accounts for the unique characteristics of scRNA-seq data and primary objectives of single-cell studies. PMID:26876720

Pure-quartic solitons

PubMed Central

Blanco-Redondo, Andrea; Martijn, de Sterke C.; Sipe, J.E.; Krauss, Thomas F.; Eggleton, Benjamin J.; Husko, Chad

2016-01-01

Temporal optical solitons have been the subject of intense research due to their intriguing physics and applications in ultrafast optics and supercontinuum generation. Conventional bright optical solitons result from the interaction of anomalous group-velocity dispersion and self-phase modulation. Here we experimentally demonstrate a class of bright soliton arising purely from the interaction of negative fourth-order dispersion and self-phase modulation, which can occur even for normal group-velocity dispersion. We provide experimental and numerical evidence of shape-preserving propagation and flat temporal phase for the fundamental pure-quartic soliton and periodically modulated propagation for the higher-order pure-quartic solitons. We derive the approximate shape of the fundamental pure-quartic soliton and discover that is surprisingly Gaussian, exhibiting excellent agreement with our experimental observations. Our discovery, enabled by precise dispersion engineering, could find applications in communications, frequency combs and ultrafast lasers. PMID:26822758

Nonlinear silicon photonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borghi, M.; Castellan, C.; Signorini, S.; Trenti, A.; Pavesi, L.

2017-09-01

Silicon photonics is a technology based on fabricating integrated optical circuits by using the same paradigms as the dominant electronics industry. After twenty years of fervid development, silicon photonics is entering the market with low cost, high performance and mass-manufacturable optical devices. Until now, most silicon photonic devices have been based on linear optical effects, despite the many phenomenologies associated with nonlinear optics in both bulk materials and integrated waveguides. Silicon and silicon-based materials have strong optical nonlinearities which are enhanced in integrated devices by the small cross-section of the high-index contrast silicon waveguides or photonic crystals. Here the photons are made to strongly interact with the medium where they propagate. This is the central argument of nonlinear silicon photonics. It is the aim of this review to describe the state-of-the-art in the field. Starting from the basic nonlinearities in a silicon waveguide or in optical resonator geometries, many phenomena and applications are described—including frequency generation, frequency conversion, frequency-comb generation, supercontinuum generation, soliton formation, temporal imaging and time lensing, Raman lasing, and comb spectroscopy. Emerging quantum photonics applications, such as entangled photon sources, heralded single-photon sources and integrated quantum photonic circuits are also addressed at the end of this review.

Exploration of laser-driven electron-multirescattering dynamics in high-order harmonic generation

DOE PAGES

Li, Peng -Cheng; Sheu, Yae -Lin; Jooya, Hossein Z.; ...

2016-09-06

Multiple rescattering processes play an important role in high-order harmonic generation (HHG) in an intense laser field. However, the underlying multi-rescattering dynamics are still largely unexplored. Here we investigate the dynamical origin of multiple rescattering processes in HHG associated with the odd and even number of returning times of the electron to the parent ion. We perform fully ab initio quantum calculations and extend the empirical mode decomposition method to extract the individual multiple scattering contributions in HHG. We find that the tunneling ionization regime is responsible for the odd number times of rescattering and the corresponding short trajectories aremore » dominant. On the other hand, the multiphoton ionization regime is responsible for the even number times of rescattering and the corresponding long trajectories are dominant. Moreover, we discover that the multiphoton- and tunneling-ionization regimes in multiple rescattering processes occur alternatively. Our results uncover the dynamical origin of multiple rescattering processes in HHG for the first time. As a result, it also provides new insight regarding the control of the multiple rescattering processes for the optimal generation of ultrabroad band supercontinuum spectra and the production of single ultrashort attosecond laser pulse.« less

Exploration of laser-driven electron-multirescattering dynamics in high-order harmonic generation

PubMed Central

Li, Peng-Cheng; Sheu, Yae-Lin; Jooya, Hossein Z.; Zhou, Xiao-Xin; Chu, Shih-I

2016-01-01

Multiple rescattering processes play an important role in high-order harmonic generation (HHG) in an intense laser field. However, the underlying multi-rescattering dynamics are still largely unexplored. Here we investigate the dynamical origin of multiple rescattering processes in HHG associated with the odd and even number of returning times of the electron to the parent ion. We perform fully ab initio quantum calculations and extend the empirical mode decomposition method to extract the individual multiple scattering contributions in HHG. We find that the tunneling ionization regime is responsible for the odd number times of rescattering and the corresponding short trajectories are dominant. On the other hand, the multiphoton ionization regime is responsible for the even number times of rescattering and the corresponding long trajectories are dominant. Moreover, we discover that the multiphoton- and tunneling-ionization regimes in multiple rescattering processes occur alternatively. Our results uncover the dynamical origin of multiple rescattering processes in HHG for the first time. It also provides new insight regarding the control of the multiple rescattering processes for the optimal generation of ultrabroad band supercontinuum spectra and the production of single ultrashort attosecond laser pulse. PMID:27596056

Exploration of laser-driven electron-multirescattering dynamics in high-order harmonic generation.

PubMed

Li, Peng-Cheng; Sheu, Yae-Lin; Jooya, Hossein Z; Zhou, Xiao-Xin; Chu, Shih-I

2016-09-06

Multiple rescattering processes play an important role in high-order harmonic generation (HHG) in an intense laser field. However, the underlying multi-rescattering dynamics are still largely unexplored. Here we investigate the dynamical origin of multiple rescattering processes in HHG associated with the odd and even number of returning times of the electron to the parent ion. We perform fully ab initio quantum calculations and extend the empirical mode decomposition method to extract the individual multiple scattering contributions in HHG. We find that the tunneling ionization regime is responsible for the odd number times of rescattering and the corresponding short trajectories are dominant. On the other hand, the multiphoton ionization regime is responsible for the even number times of rescattering and the corresponding long trajectories are dominant. Moreover, we discover that the multiphoton- and tunneling-ionization regimes in multiple rescattering processes occur alternatively. Our results uncover the dynamical origin of multiple rescattering processes in HHG for the first time. It also provides new insight regarding the control of the multiple rescattering processes for the optimal generation of ultrabroad band supercontinuum spectra and the production of single ultrashort attosecond laser pulse.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Radchenko, Valery; Meyer, Catherine Anne Louise; Engle, Jonathan Ward

Scandium-44 g (half-life 3.97 h) shows promise for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of longer biological processes than that of the current gold standard, 18F, due to its favorable decay parameters. One source of 44gSc is the long-lived parent nuclide 44Ti (half-life 60.0 a). A 44Ti/ 44gSc generator would have the ability to provide radionuclidically pure 44gSc on a daily basis. The production of 44Ti via the 45Sc(p,2n) reaction requires high proton beam currents and long irradiation times. Recovery and purification of no-carrier added (nca) 44Ti from scandium metal targets involves complex separation chemistry. In this study, separation systems basedmore » on solid phase extraction chromatography were investigated, including branched diglycolamide (BDGA) resin and hydroxamate based ZR resin. Lastly, results indicate that ZR resin in HCl media represents an effective 44Ti/ 44gSc separation system.« less

High-sensitivity supercontinuum-based parallel line-field optical coherence tomography with 1 million A-lines/s (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barrick, Jessica; Doblas, Ana; Sears, Patrick R.; Ostrowski, Lawrence E.; Oldenburg, Amy L.

2017-02-01

While traditional, flying-spot, spectral domain OCT systems can achieve MHz linerates, they are limited by the need for mechanical scanning to produce a B-mode image. Line-field OCT (LF OCT) removes the need for mechanical scanning by simultaneously recording all A-lines on a 2D CMOS sensor. Our LF OCT system operates at the highest A-line rate of any spectral domain (SD) LF OCT system reported to date (1,024,000 A-lines/s). This is comparable with the fastest flying-spot SDOCT system reported. Additionally, all OCT systems face a tradeoff between imaging speed and sensitivity. Long exposure times improve sensitivity but can lead to undesirable motion artifacts. LF OCT has the potential to relax this tradeoff between sensitivity and imaging speed because all A-lines are exposed during the entire frame acquisition time. However, this advantage has not yet been realized due to the loss of power-per-A-line by spreading the illumination light across all A-lines on the sample. Here we use a supercontinuum source to illuminate the sample with 500mW of light in the 605-950 nm wavelength band, effectively providing 480 µW of power-per-A-line, with axial and lateral resolutions of 1.8 µm and 14 µm, respectively. With this system we achieve the highest reported sensitivity (113 dB) of any LF OCT system. We then demonstrate the capability of this system by capturing the rapidly beating cilia of human bronchial-epithelial cells in vitro. The combination of high speed and high sensitivity offered by supercontinuum-based LF SD OCT offers new opportunities for studying cell and tissue dynamics.

Broadband incoherent four-wave mixing and 27 dB idler conversion efficiency using ultra-silicon rich nitride devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, J. W.; Sohn, B.-U.; Chen, G. F. R.; Ng, D. K. T.; Tan, D. T. H.

2018-04-01

The generation of broadband light within the telecommunication band has been instrumental to the design and characterization of advanced optical devices and systems. In this paper, stimulated degenerate four-wave mixing of an ultra-silicon rich nitride waveguide is investigated using a pulsed pump at 1.555 μm and incoherent broadband sources emitting in the 1.65 μm wavelength region as a signal. The waveguide possesses a large nonlinear parameter of 330 W-1/m as well as anomalous dispersion, required for phase matched parametric processes. The broadband idler ranging from 1.43 μm to 1.52 μm is generated using a coupled peak power of 4.6 W, spanning ˜100 nm at the -20 dB level, which is sufficient to cover parts of the E- and S-bands. The spectral span of the generated idler also agrees well with the calculation based on the phase-matching condition governing degenerate four-wave mixing. Cascaded incoherent four-wave mixing is also observed. Using a supercontinuum pump spanning from 1.1 to 1.7 μm with a coupled peak power of 26 W, an idler spanning from 1.2 to 1.4 μm is generated, equivalent to an idler on/off conversion efficiency of 27 dB.

Maternal high-fat diet impairs glucose metabolism, β-cell function and proliferation in the second generation of offspring rats.

PubMed

Huang, Yan-Hong; Ye, Ting-Ting; Liu, Chong-Xiao; Wang, Lei; Chen, Yuan-Wen; Dong, Yan

2017-01-01

This study aimed to assess the impact of perinatal high-fat (HF) diet in female Sprague-Dawley rats (F0) on glucose metabolism and islet function in their early life of second-generation of offspring (F2). F0 rats were fed with a standard chow (SC) or HF diet for 8 weeks before mating, up to termination of lactation for their first-generation of offspring (F1-SC and F1-HF). F1 females were mated with normal males at the age of week 11, and producing F2 offspring (F2-SC, F2-HF). All the offspring were fed SC diet after weaning for 3 weeks. The glucose level and islet function of F2 offspring were assessed at the age of week 3 and 12. The F2-HF offspring had a high birth weight and maintained a higher body mass at the age of week 3 and 12, along with an impaired glucose tolerance and lower serum insulin levels compared with the F2-SC. β-cell proliferation was also impaired in the islets of F2-HF rats at the age of week 3 and 12. The pancreatic and duodenal homeobox factor-1 (Pdx1) and Neurogenic differentiation 1 (NeuroD1) expressions were decreased in the islet of F2-HF rats at the age of week 12. Maternal HF diet during pre-gestation, gestation, and lactation in rats could result in the increased body weight and glucose intolerance in their early life of F2 offspring due to impaired β-cell function and proliferation.

Schwann cell-specific JAM-C-deficient mice reveal novel expression and functions for JAM-C in peripheral nerves

PubMed Central

Colom, Bartomeu; Poitelon, Yannick; Huang, Wenlong; Woodfin, Abigail; Averill, Sharon; Del Carro, Ubaldo; Zambroni, Desirée; Brain, Susan D.; Perretti, Mauro; Ahluwalia, Amrita; Priestley, John V.; Chavakis, Triantafyllos; Imhof, Beat A.; Feltri, M. Laura; Nourshargh, Sussan

2012-01-01

Junctional adhesion molecule-C (JAM-C) is an adhesion molecule expressed at junctions between adjacent endothelial and epithelial cells and implicated in multiple inflammatory and vascular responses. In addition, we recently reported on the expression of JAM-C in Schwann cells (SCs) and its importance for the integrity and function of peripheral nerves. To investigate the role of JAM-C in neuronal functions further, mice with a specific deletion of JAM-C in SCs (JAM-C SC KO) were generated. Compared to wild-type (WT) controls, JAM-C SC KO mice showed electrophysiological defects, muscular weakness, and hypersensitivity to mechanical stimuli. In addressing the underlying cause of these defects, nerves from JAM-C SC KO mice were found to have morphological defects in the paranodal region, exhibiting increased nodal length as compared to WTs. The study also reports on previously undetected expressions of JAM-C, namely on perineural cells, and in line with nociception defects of the JAM-C SC KO animals, on finely myelinated sensory nerve fibers. Collectively, the generation and characterization of JAM-C SC KO mice has provided unequivocal evidence for the involvement of SC JAM-C in the fine organization of peripheral nerves and in modulating multiple neuronal responses.—Colom, B., Poitelon, Y., Huang, W., Woodfin, A., Averill, S., Del Carro, U., Zambroni, D., Brain, S. D., Perretti, M., Ahluwalia, A., Priestley, J. V., Chavakis, T., Imhof, B. A., Feltri, M. L., Nourshargh, S. Schwann cell-specific JAM-C-deficient mice reveal novel expression and functions for JAM-C in peripheral nerves. PMID:22090315

Attenuation of UVR-induced vitamin D3 synthesis in a mouse model deleted for keratinocyte lathosterol 5-desaturase.

PubMed

Makarova, Anastasia M; Pasta, Saloni; Watson, Gordon; Shackleton, Cedric; Epstein, Ervin H

2017-07-01

The lower risk of some internal cancers at lower latitudes has been linked to greater sun exposure and consequent higher levels of ultraviolet radiation (UVR)-produced vitamin D 3 (D 3 ). To separate the experimental effects of sunlight and of all forms of D 3 , a mouse in which UVR does not produce D 3 would be useful. To this end we have generated mice carrying a modified allele of sterol C5-desaturase (Sc5d), the gene encoding the enzyme that converts lathosterol to 7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC), such that Sc5d expression can be inactivated using the Cre/lox site-specific recombination system. By crossing to mice with tissue-specific expression of Cre or CreER 2 (Cre/estrogen receptor), we generated two lines of transgenic mice. One line has constitutive keratinocyte-specific inactivation of Sc5d (Sc5d k14KO ). The other line (Sc5d k14KOi ) has tamoxifen-inducible keratinocyte-specific inactivation of Sc5d. Mice deleted for keratinocyte Sc5d lose the ability to increase circulating D 3 following UVR exposure of the skin. Thus, unlike in control mice, acute UVR exposure did not affect circulating D 3 level in inducible Sc5d k14KOi mice. Keratinocyte-specific inactivation of Sc5d was proven by sterol measurement in hair - in control animals lathosterol and cholesta-7,24-dien-3β-ol, the target molecules of SC5D in the sterol biosynthetic pathways, together constituted a mean of 10% of total sterols; in the conditional knockout mice these sterols constituted a mean of 56% of total sterols. The constitutive knockout mice had an even greater increase, with lathosterol and cholesta-7,24-dien-3β-ol accounting for 80% of total sterols. In conclusion, the dominant presence of the 7-DHC precursors in hair of conditional animals and the lack of increased circulating D 3 following exposure to UVR reflect attenuated production of the D 3 photochemical precursor 7-DHC and, consequently, of D 3 itself. These animals provide a useful new tool for investigating the role of D 3 in UVR-induced physiological effects and, more broadly, for investigations of the cholesterol synthetic pathway in the skin and other targeted tissues. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Creation of Spin-Triplet Cooper Pairs in the Absence of Magnetic Ordering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breunig, Daniel; Burset, Pablo; Trauzettel, Björn

2018-01-01

In superconducting spintronics, it is essential to generate spin-triplet Cooper pairs on demand. Up to now, proposals to do so concentrate on hybrid structures in which a superconductor (SC) is combined with a magnetically ordered material (or an external magnetic field). We, instead, identify a novel way to create and isolate spin-triplet Cooper pairs in the absence of any magnetic ordering. This achievement is only possible because we drive a system with strong spin-orbit interaction—the Dirac surface states of a strong topological insulator (TI)-out of equilibrium. In particular, we consider a bipolar TI-SC-TI junction, where the electrochemical potentials in the outer leads differ in their overall sign. As a result, we find that nonlocal singlet pairing across the junction is completely suppressed for any excitation energy. Hence, this junction acts as a perfect spin-triplet filter across the SC, generating equal-spin Cooper pairs via crossed Andreev reflection.

Creation of Spin-Triplet Cooper Pairs in the Absence of Magnetic Ordering.

PubMed

Breunig, Daniel; Burset, Pablo; Trauzettel, Björn

2018-01-19

In superconducting spintronics, it is essential to generate spin-triplet Cooper pairs on demand. Up to now, proposals to do so concentrate on hybrid structures in which a superconductor (SC) is combined with a magnetically ordered material (or an external magnetic field). We, instead, identify a novel way to create and isolate spin-triplet Cooper pairs in the absence of any magnetic ordering. This achievement is only possible because we drive a system with strong spin-orbit interaction-the Dirac surface states of a strong topological insulator (TI)-out of equilibrium. In particular, we consider a bipolar TI-SC-TI junction, where the electrochemical potentials in the outer leads differ in their overall sign. As a result, we find that nonlocal singlet pairing across the junction is completely suppressed for any excitation energy. Hence, this junction acts as a perfect spin-triplet filter across the SC, generating equal-spin Cooper pairs via crossed Andreev reflection.

Effects of Al3(Sc,Zr) and Shear Band Formation on the Tensile Properties and Fracture Behavior of Al-Mg-Sc-Zr Alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Hongfeng; Jiang, Feng; Zhou, Jiang; Wei, Lili; Qu, Jiping; Liu, Lele

2015-11-01

The mechanical properties and microstructures of Al-6Mg-0.25Sc-0.1Zr alloy (wt.%) during annealing were investigated by means of uniaxial tensile testing, optical microscope, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, and high-resolution transmission electron microscope. The results show that a large number of micro and grain-scale shear bands form in this alloy after cold rolling. As the tensile-loading force rises, strain softening would generate in shear bands, resulting in the occurrence of shear banding fracture in cold-rolled Al-Mg-Sc-Zr alloys. Recrystallization takes place preferentially in shear bands during annealing. Due to the formation of coarse-grain bands constructed by new subgrains, recrystallization softening tends to occur in these regions. During low-temperature annealing, recrystallization is inhibited by nano-scale Al3(Sc,Zr) precipitates which exert significant coherency strengthening and modulus hardening. However, the strengthening effect of Al3(Sc,Zr) decreases with the increasing of particle diameter at elevated annealing temperature. The mechanical properties of the recrystallized Al-Mg-Sc-Zr alloy decrease to a minimum level, and the fracture plane exhibits pure ductile fracture characteristics.

Spectral ophthalmoscopy based on supercontinuum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Yueh-Hung; Yu, Jiun-Yann; Wu, Han-Hsuan; Huang, Bo-Jyun; Chu, Shi-Wei

2010-02-01

Confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope (CSLO) has been established to be an important diagnostic tool for retinopathies like age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma and diabetes. Compared to a confocal laser scanning microscope, CSLO is also capable of providing optical sectioning on retina with the aid of a pinhole, but the microscope objective is replaced by the optics of eye. Since optical spectrum is the fingerprint of local chemical composition, it is attractive to incorporate spectral acquisition into CSLO. However, due to the limitation of laser bandwidth and chromatic/geometric aberration, the scanning systems in current CSLO are not compatible with spectral imaging. Here we demonstrate a spectral CSLO by combining a diffraction-limited broadband scanning system and a supercontinuum laser source. Both optical sectioning capability and sub-cellular resolution are demonstrated on zebrafish's retina. To our knowledge, it is also the first time that CSLO is applied onto the study of fish vision. The versatile spectral CSLO system will be useful to retinopathy diagnosis and neuroscience research.

Tower testing of a 64W shortwave infrared supercontinuum laser for use as a hyperspectral imaging illuminator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meola, Joseph; Absi, Anthony; Islam, Mohammed N.; Peterson, Lauren M.; Ke, Kevin; Freeman, Michael J.; Ifaraguerri, Agustin I.

2014-06-01

Hyperspectral imaging systems are currently used for numerous activities related to spectral identification of materials. These passive imaging systems rely on naturally reflected/emitted radiation as the source of the signal. Thermal infrared systems measure radiation emitted from objects in the scene. As such, they can operate at both day and night. However, visible through shortwave infrared systems measure solar illumination reflected from objects. As a result, their use is limited to daytime applications. Omni Sciences has produced high powered broadband shortwave infrared super-continuum laser illuminators. A 64-watt breadboard system was recently packaged and tested at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to gauge beam quality and to serve as a proof-of-concept for potential use as an illuminator for a hyperspectral receiver. The laser illuminator was placed in a tower and directed along a 1.4km slant path to various target materials with reflected radiation measured with both a broadband camera and a hyperspectral imaging system to gauge performance.

Femtosecond pump-supercontinuum probe and transient lens spectroscopy of adonixanthin.

PubMed

Lenzer, Thomas; Schubert, Steffen; Ehlers, Florian; Lohse, Peter W; Scholz, Mirko; Oum, Kawon

2009-03-15

The ultrafast internal conversion (IC) dynamics of adonixanthin in organic solvents were studied by pump-supercontinuum probe (PSCP) and transient lens (TL) spectroscopy after photoexcitation to the S(2) state. Transient PSCP spectra in the range 344-768 nm provided the spectral evolution of the S(0)-->S(2) ground state bleach and S(1)-->S(n) excited state absorption. Time constants were tau(2) =115 and 111 fs for the S(2)-->S(1) IC and tau(1)=6.4 and 5.8 ps for the S(1)-->S(0) IC in acetone and methanol, respectively. There was only an insignificant polarity dependence of tau(1), underlining the negligible importance of intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) in the lowest-lying excited state of C(40) carotenoids with carbonyl substitution on the beta-ionone ring. A blueshift and a spectral narrowing of the S(1)-->S(n) ESA band, likely due to solvation dynamics, and formation of the adonixanthin radial cation at high pump energies via resonant two-photon ionization were found.

Identification of Langmuir wave turbulence-supercontinuum transition by application of von Neumann entropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawamori, Eiichirou

2017-09-01

A transition from Langmuir wave turbulence (LWT) to coherent Langmuir wave supercontinuum (LWSC) is identified in one-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations as the emergence of a broad frequency band showing significant temporal coherence of a wave field accompanied by a decrease in the von Neumann entropy of classical wave fields. The concept of the von Neumann entropy is utilized for evaluation of the phase-randomizing degree of the classical wave fields, together with introduction of the density matrix of the wave fields. The transition from LWT to LWSC takes place when the energy per one plasmon (one wave quantum) exceeds a certain threshold. The coherent nature, which Langmuir wave systems acquire through the transition, is created by four wave mixings of the plasmons. The emergence of temporal coherence and the decrease in the phase randomization are considered as the development of long-range order and spontaneous symmetry breaking, respectively, indicating that the LWT-LWSC transition is a second order phase transition phenomenon.

Effects of protein engineering and rational mutagenesis on crystal lattice of single chain antibody fragments

PubMed Central

Kalyoncu, Sibel; Hyun, Jeongmin; Pai, Jennifer C.; Johnson, Jennifer L.; Entzminger, Kevin; Jain, Avni; Heaner, David P.; Morales, Ivan A.; Truskett, Thomas M.; Maynard, Jennifer A.; Lieberman, Raquel L.

2014-01-01

Protein crystallization is dependent upon, and sensitive to, the intermolecular contacts that assist in ordering proteins into a three dimensional lattice. Here we used protein engineering and mutagenesis to affect the crystallization of single chain antibody fragments (scFvs) that recognize the EE epitope (EYMPME) with high affinity. These hypercrystallizable scFvs are under development to assist difficult proteins, such as membrane proteins, in forming crystals, by acting as crystallization chaperones. Guided by analyses of intermolecular crystal lattice contacts, two second-generation anti-EE scFvs were produced, which bind to proteins with installed EE tags. Surprisingly, although non-complementarity determining region (CDR) lattice residues from the parent scFv framework remained unchanged through the processes of protein engineering and rational design, crystal lattices of the derivative scFvs differ. Comparison of energy calculations and the experimentally-determined lattice interactions for this basis set provides insight into the complexity of the forces driving crystal lattice choice and demonstrates the availability of multiple well-ordered surface features in our scFvs capable of forming versatile crystal contacts. PMID:24615866

Dramatic dwindling of the power spectrum of high order harmonics by shrinking of the gap size in bowtie nanostructures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hosseinzadeh, F.; Batebi, S., E-mail: s-batebi@guilan.ac.ir; Soofi, M. Q.

2017-03-15

Our work is based on high harmonic generation in a gaseous medium (helium ion), by exploiting gold bowtie nanostructures as laser field amplifiers. As the result of emission of a laser pulse, the wave function of the atom varies with time; so, it is necessary to solve 1D time-dependent Schrödinger equation by means of split operator method. By illumination of a short duration, long wavelength three color laser pulse inside the gap, the enhanced field not only changes with time, but also varies in space. In this work we considered this space inhomogeneity in linear and nonlinear schemes. We showmore » that in nonlinear case, the plateau region is more extended. We also show that in larger gaps, cutoff occurs on higher frequencies. But limitation of electron motion in bowtie nanostructures leads to the choice of an optimum 16 nm gap size in our case. We predict that, by the superposition of supercontinuum harmonics, a 26 attosecond pulse can be generated.« less

Near- and Extended-Edge X-Ray-Absorption Fine-Structure Spectroscopy Using Ultrafast Coherent High-Order Harmonic Supercontinua

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popmintchev, Dimitar; Galloway, Benjamin R.; Chen, Ming-Chang; Dollar, Franklin; Mancuso, Christopher A.; Hankla, Amelia; Miaja-Avila, Luis; O'Neil, Galen; Shaw, Justin M.; Fan, Guangyu; Ališauskas, Skirmantas; Andriukaitis, Giedrius; Balčiunas, Tadas; Mücke, Oliver D.; Pugzlys, Audrius; Baltuška, Andrius; Kapteyn, Henry C.; Popmintchev, Tenio; Murnane, Margaret M.

2018-03-01

Recent advances in high-order harmonic generation have made it possible to use a tabletop-scale setup to produce spatially and temporally coherent beams of light with bandwidth spanning 12 octaves, from the ultraviolet up to x-ray photon energies >1.6 keV . Here we demonstrate the use of this light for x-ray-absorption spectroscopy at the K - and L -absorption edges of solids at photon energies near 1 keV. We also report x-ray-absorption spectroscopy in the water window spectral region (284-543 eV) using a high flux high-order harmonic generation x-ray supercontinuum with 109 photons/s in 1% bandwidth, 3 orders of magnitude larger than has previously been possible using tabletop sources. Since this x-ray radiation emerges as a single attosecond-to-femtosecond pulse with peak brightness exceeding 1026 photons/s /mrad2/mm2/1 % bandwidth, these novel coherent x-ray sources are ideal for probing the fastest molecular and materials processes on femtosecond-to-attosecond time scales and picometer length scales.

Rat Bone Marrow-Derived Schwann-Like Cells Differentiated by the Optimal Inducers Combination on Microfluidic Chip and Their Functional Performance

PubMed Central

Lv, Decheng

2012-01-01

Numerous researches demonstrated the possibility of derivation of Schwann-like (SC-like) cells in vitro from bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs). However, the concentration of the induce factors were different in those studies, especially for the critical factors forskolin (FSK) and β-heregulin (HRG). Here, we used a new and useful method to build an integrated microfluidic chip for rapid analyses of the optimal combination between the induce factors FSK and HRG. The microfluidic device was mainly composed of an upstream concentration gradient generator (CGG) and a downstream cell culture module. Rat BMSCs were cultured in the cell chambers for 11 days at the different concentrations of induce factors generated by CGG. The result of immunofluorescence staining on-chip showed that the group of 4.00 µM FSK and 250.00 ng/ml HRG presented an optimal effect to promote the derivation of SC-like cells. Moreover, the optimal SC-like cells obtained on-chip were further tested using DRG co-culture and ELISA to detect their functional performance. Our findings demonstrate that SC-like cells could be obtained with high efficiency and functional performance in the optimal inducers combination. PMID:22880114

Rat bone marrow-derived Schwann-like cells differentiated by the optimal inducers combination on microfluidic chip and their functional performance.

PubMed

Tian, Xiliang; Wang, Shouyu; Zhang, Zhen; Lv, Decheng

2012-01-01

Numerous researches demonstrated the possibility of derivation of Schwann-like (SC-like) cells in vitro from bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs). However, the concentration of the induce factors were different in those studies, especially for the critical factors forskolin (FSK) and β-heregulin (HRG). Here, we used a new and useful method to build an integrated microfluidic chip for rapid analyses of the optimal combination between the induce factors FSK and HRG. The microfluidic device was mainly composed of an upstream concentration gradient generator (CGG) and a downstream cell culture module. Rat BMSCs were cultured in the cell chambers for 11 days at the different concentrations of induce factors generated by CGG. The result of immunofluorescence staining on-chip showed that the group of 4.00 µM FSK and 250.00 ng/ml HRG presented an optimal effect to promote the derivation of SC-like cells. Moreover, the optimal SC-like cells obtained on-chip were further tested using DRG co-culture and ELISA to detect their functional performance. Our findings demonstrate that SC-like cells could be obtained with high efficiency and functional performance in the optimal inducers combination.

A spiking neural network model of the midbrain superior colliculus that generates saccadic motor commands.

PubMed

Kasap, Bahadir; van Opstal, A John

2017-08-01

Single-unit recordings suggest that the midbrain superior colliculus (SC) acts as an optimal controller for saccadic gaze shifts. The SC is proposed to be the site within the visuomotor system where the nonlinear spatial-to-temporal transformation is carried out: the population encodes the intended saccade vector by its location in the motor map (spatial), and its trajectory and velocity by the distribution of firing rates (temporal). The neurons' burst profiles vary systematically with their anatomical positions and intended saccade vectors, to account for the nonlinear main-sequence kinematics of saccades. Yet, the underlying collicular mechanisms that could result in these firing patterns are inaccessible to current neurobiological techniques. Here, we propose a simple spiking neural network model that reproduces the spike trains of saccade-related cells in the intermediate and deep SC layers during saccades. The model assumes that SC neurons have distinct biophysical properties for spike generation that depend on their anatomical position in combination with a center-surround lateral connectivity. Both factors are needed to account for the observed firing patterns. Our model offers a basis for neuronal algorithms for spatiotemporal transformations and bio-inspired optimal controllers.

Strength and conditioning in adolescent female athletes.

PubMed

Sommi, Corinne; Gill, Frances; Trojan, Jeffrey D; Mulcahey, Mary K

2018-06-22

Despite evidence that strength and conditioning (S&C) programs decrease injury risk and increase sport performance, young females are rarely offered S&C programs comparable to those of their male counterparts. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the current body of available literature regarding S&C in adolescent female athletes, describe potential benefits, and generate recommendations for S&C programs for female adolescent athletes. This systematic review was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Systematic searches of the PubMed and Google Scholar databases were conducted using the following keywords: 'female athletes,' 'injury prevention,' 'adolescent,' 'physical fitness,' 'strength,' 'female adolescent,' and 'conditioning.' Studies included in this review evaluated the effectiveness of S&C protocols and/or the habits and attitudes of coaches and athletic trainers working with female adolescent athletes. Seven articles evaluating S&C programs for the adolescent female athlete were used as the basis for this systematic review. These articles described current protocols and/or factors that should be taken into account when designing S&C programs. The identified articles focused on improving the strength of adolescent female athletes, decreasing the risk of injury, and exposing female athletes to the benefits of S&C that are routinely afforded to their male counterparts. Despite the critical potential benefits of S&C training, such as improved landing mechanics, coaches and athletic trainers do not routinely implement S&C programs for female adolescent athletes. The lack of such programs is largely due to misconceptions surrounding female athletes, such as the perception that females fear bulking up. S&C programs for adolescent female athletes should incorporate stretching of the hip adductors, targeted hamstring, gluteal and quadriceps strengthening, and a synergistic adaptation model, which tailors training protocols to an athlete's pubertal stage.

Enhanced transport of plant-produced rabies single-chain antibody-RVG peptide fusion protein across an in cellulo blood-brain barrier device.

PubMed

Phoolcharoen, Waranyoo; Prehaud, Christophe; van Dolleweerd, Craig J; Both, Leonard; da Costa, Anaelle; Lafon, Monique; Ma, Julian K-C

2017-10-01

The biomedical applications of antibody engineering are developing rapidly and have been expanded to plant expression platforms. In this study, we have generated a novel antibody molecule in planta for targeted delivery across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Rabies virus (RABV) is a neurotropic virus for which there is no effective treatment after entry into the central nervous system. This study investigated the use of a RABV glycoprotein peptide sequence to assist delivery of a rabies neutralizing single-chain antibody (ScFv) across an in cellulo model of human BBB. The 29 amino acid rabies virus peptide (RVG) recognizes the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAchR) at neuromuscular junctions and the BBB. ScFv and ScFv-RVG fusion proteins were produced in Nicotiana benthamiana by transient expression. Both molecules were successfully expressed and purified, but the ScFv expression level was significantly higher than that of ScFv-RVG fusion. Both ScFv and ScFv-RVG fusion molecules had potent neutralization activity against RABVin cellulo. The ScFv-RVG fusion demonstrated increased binding to nAchR and entry into neuronal cells, compared to ScFv alone. Additionally, a human brain endothelial cell line BBB model was used to demonstrate that plant-produced ScFv-RVG P fusion could translocate across the cells. This study indicates that the plant-produced ScFv-RVG P fusion protein was able to cross the in celluloBBB and neutralize RABV. © 2017 The Authors. Plant Biotechnology Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and The Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Reliability assessment and correlation analysis of evaluating orthodontic treatment outcome in Chinese patients.

PubMed

Song, Guang-Ying; Zhao, Zhi-He; Ding, Yin; Bai, Yu-Xing; Wang, Lin; He, Hong; Shen, Gang; Li, Wei-Ran; Baumrind, Sheldon; Geng, Zhi; Xu, Tian-Min

2014-03-01

This study aimed to assess the reliability of experienced Chinese orthodontists in evaluating treatment outcome and to determine the correlations between three diagnostic information sources. Sixty-nine experienced Chinese orthodontic specialists each evaluated the outcome of orthodontic treatment of 108 Chinese patients. Three different information sources: study casts (SC), lateral cephalometric X-ray images (LX) and facial photographs (PH) were generated at the end of treatment for 108 patients selected randomly from six orthodontic treatment centers throughout China. Six different assessments of treatment outcome were made by each orthodontist using data from the three information sources separately and in combination. Each assessment included both ranking and grading for each patient. The rankings of each of the 69 judges for the 108 patients were correlated with the rankings of each of the other judges yielding 13 873 Spearman rs values, ranging from -0.08 to +0.85. Of these, 90% were greater than 0.4, showing moderate-to-high consistency among the 69 orthodontists. In the combined evaluations, study casts were the most significant predictive component (R(2)=0.86, P<0.000 1), while the inclusion of lateral cephalometric films and facial photographs also contributed to a more comprehensive assessment (R(2)=0.96, P<0.000 1). Grading scores for SC+LX and SC+PH were highly significantly correlated with those for SC+LX+PH (r(SC+LX)vs.(SC+LX+PH)=0.96, r(SC+PH)vs.(SC+LX+PH)=0.97), showing that either SC+LX or SC+PH is an excellent substitute for all three combined assessment.

Reliability assessment and correlation analysis of evaluating orthodontic treatment outcome in Chinese patients

PubMed Central

Song, Guang-Ying; Zhao, Zhi-He; Ding, Yin; Bai, Yu-Xing; Wang, Lin; He, Hong; Shen, Gang; Li, Wei-Ran; Baumrind, Sheldon; Geng, Zhi; Xu, Tian-Min

2014-01-01

This study aimed to assess the reliability of experienced Chinese orthodontists in evaluating treatment outcome and to determine the correlations between three diagnostic information sources. Sixty-nine experienced Chinese orthodontic specialists each evaluated the outcome of orthodontic treatment of 108 Chinese patients. Three different information sources: study casts (SC), lateral cephalometric X-ray images (LX) and facial photographs (PH) were generated at the end of treatment for 108 patients selected randomly from six orthodontic treatment centers throughout China. Six different assessments of treatment outcome were made by each orthodontist using data from the three information sources separately and in combination. Each assessment included both ranking and grading for each patient. The rankings of each of the 69 judges for the 108 patients were correlated with the rankings of each of the other judges yielding 13 873 Spearman rs values, ranging from –0.08 to +0.85. Of these, 90% were greater than 0.4, showing moderate-to-high consistency among the 69 orthodontists. In the combined evaluations, study casts were the most significant predictive component (R2=0.86, P<0.000 1), while the inclusion of lateral cephalometric films and facial photographs also contributed to a more comprehensive assessment (R2=0.96, P<0.000 1). Grading scores for SC+LX and SC+PH were highly significantly correlated with those for SC+LX+PH (r(SC+LX)vs.(SC+LX+PH)=0.96, r(SC+PH)vs.(SC+LX+PH)=0.97), showing that either SC+LX or SC+PH is an excellent substitute for all three combined assessment. PMID:24136673

Tuning role and mechanism of paint sludge for characteristics of sewage sludge carbon: Paint sludge as a new macro-pores forming agent.

PubMed

Li, Siyang; Feng, Jinxi; Tian, Shuanghong; Lan, Shenyu; Fan, Chao; Liu, Xiaosheng; Xiong, Ya

2018-02-15

For the first time, paint sludge waste (PS) was used as a pore forming agent in the preparation of sewage sludge derived carbon (SC). The tuning role and mechanism of PS for characteristics of SC were explored. It was found that a sludge carbon (SC PS-Zn ) with rich macro-, meso- and micro- porous could be produced by one-step pyrolytic process of sludge in the presence of PS and ZnCl 2. Its surface area could reach as high as 680.5m 2 g -1 as 88.4 times and 4.8 times of sludge carbon without addition of PS and ZnCl 2 (SC) and only addition of ZnCl 2 (SC Zn ) , respectively. The macro- pores fabricated by PS provided much inner-space for ZnCl 2 to generate meso- and micro- porous, leading to a hierarchical porous structure. SC PS-Zn showed a high adsorption capacity of 685.4mgg -1 for Chrysophenine, which is 1.3 and 1.7 times that of SC PS and SC Zn respectively. The adsorption difference could be simply attributed to the fact that the great molecules were difficult to enter micro- pores of SC Zn . It was also found that the difference was also dependent on orientation of Chrysophenine, which was related to pH value of solution. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

PKC-Theta is a Novel SC35 Splicing Factor Regulator in Response to T Cell Activation.

PubMed

McCuaig, Robert Duncan; Dunn, Jennifer; Li, Jasmine; Masch, Antonia; Knaute, Tobias; Schutkowski, Mike; Zerweck, Johannes; Rao, Sudha

2015-01-01

Alternative splicing of nuclear pre-mRNA is essential for generating protein diversity and regulating gene expression. While many immunologically relevant genes undergo alternative splicing, the role of regulated splicing in T cell immune responses is largely unexplored, and the signaling pathways and splicing factors that regulate alternative splicing in T cells are poorly defined. Here, we show using a combination of Jurkat T cells, human primary T cells, and ex vivo naïve and effector virus-specific T cells isolated after influenza A virus infection that SC35 phosphorylation is induced in response to stimulatory signals. We show that SC35 colocalizes with RNA polymerase II in activated T cells and spatially overlaps with H3K27ac and H3K4me3, which mark transcriptionally active genes. Interestingly, SC35 remains coupled to the active histone marks in the absence of continuing stimulatory signals. We show for the first time that nuclear PKC-θ co-exists with SC35 in the context of the chromatin template and is a key regulator of SC35 in T cells, directly phosphorylating SC35 peptide residues at RNA recognition motif and RS domains. Collectively, our findings suggest that nuclear PKC-θ is a novel regulator of the key splicing factor SC35 in T cells.

Comparative biochemical analysis after steam pretreatment of lignocellulosic agricultural waste biomass from Williams Cavendish banana plant (Triploid Musa AAA group).

PubMed

Kamdem, Irénée; Jacquet, Nicolas; Tiappi, Florian Mathias; Hiligsmann, Serge; Vanderghem, Caroline; Richel, Aurore; Jacques, Philippe; Thonart, Philippe

2015-11-01

The accessibility of fermentable substrates to enzymes is a limiting factor for the efficient bioconversion of agricultural wastes in the context of sustainable development. This paper presents the results of a biochemical analysis performed on six combined morphological parts of Williams Cavendish Lignocellulosic Biomass (WCLB) after steam cracking (SC) and steam explosion (SE) pretreatments. Solid (S) and liquid (L) fractions (Fs) obtained from SC pretreatment performed at 180°C (SLFSC180) and 210°C (SLFSC210) generated, after diluted acid hydrolysis, the highest proportions of neutral sugar (NS) contents, specifically 52.82 ± 3.51 and 49.78 ± 1.39%w/w WCLB dry matter (DM), respectively. The highest proportions of glucose were found in SFSC210 (53.56 ± 1.33%w/w DM) and SFSC180 (44.47 ± 0.00%w/w DM), while the lowest was found in unpretreated WCLB (22.70 ± 0.71%w/w DM). Total NS content assessed in each LF immediately after SC and SE pretreatments was less than 2%w/w of the LF DM, thus revealing minor acid autohydrolysis consequently leading to minor NS production during the steam pretreatment. WCLB subjected to SC at 210 °C (SC210) generated up to 2.7-fold bioaccessible glucan and xylan. SC and SE pretreatments showed potential for the deconstruction of WCLB (delignification, depolymerization, decrystallization and deacetylation), enhancing its enzymatic hydrolysis. The concentrations of enzymatic inhibitors, such as 2-furfuraldehyde and 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural from LFSC210, were the highest (41 and 21 µg ml(-1), respectively). This study shows that steam pretreatments in general and SC210 in particular are required for efficient bioconversion of WCLB. Yet, biotransformation through biochemical processes (e.g., anaerobic digestion) must be performed to assess the efficiency of these pretreatments. © The Author(s) 2015.

Engineering of a recombinant trivalent single-chain variable fragment antibody directed against rabies virus glycoprotein G with improved neutralizing potency.

PubMed

Turki, Imène; Hammami, Akil; Kharmachi, Habib; Mousli, Mohamed

2014-02-01

Human and equine rabies immunoglobulins are currently available for passive immunization against rabies. However, these are hampered by the limited supply and some drawbacks. Advances in antibody engineering have led to overcome issues of clinical applications and to improve the protective efficacy. In the present study, we report the generation of a trivalent single-chain Fv (scFv50AD1-Fd), that recognizes the rabies virus glycoprotein, genetically fused to the trimerization domain of the bacteriophage T4 fibritin, termed 'foldon' (Fd). scFv50AD1-Fd was expressed as soluble recombinant protein in bacterial periplasmic space and purified through affinity chromatography. The molecular integrity and stability were analyzed by polyacrylamide gradient-gel electrophoresis, size-exclusion chromatography and incubation in human sera. The antigen-binding properties of the trimeric scFv were analyzed by direct and competitive-ELISA. Its apparent affinity constant was estimated at 1.4 ± 0.25 × 10(9)M(-1) and was 75-fold higher than its monovalent scFv (1.9 ± 0.68 × 10(7)M(-1)). The scFv50AD1-Fd neutralized rabies virus in a standard in vitro and in vivo neutralization assay. We showed a high neutralization activity up to 75-fold compared with monovalent format and the WHO standard serum. The gain in avidity resulting from multivalency along with an improved biological activity makes the trivalent scFv50AD1-Fd construct an important reagent for rabies protection. The antibody engineering approach presented here may serve as a strategy for designing a new generation of anti-rabies for passive immunotherapy. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electrochemically triggered release of acetylcholine from scCO2 impregnated conductive polymer films evokes intracellular Ca2+ signaling in neurotypic SH-SY5Y cells.

PubMed

Löffler, Susanne; Seyock, Silke; Nybom, Rolf; Jacobson, Gunilla B; Richter-Dahlfors, Agneta

2016-12-10

Implantable devices for electronically triggered drug release are attractive to achieve spatial and temporal control over drug concentrations in patients. Realization of such devices is, however, associated with technical and biological challenges. Among these are containment of drug reservoirs, lack of precise control cues, as well as the charge and size of the drug. Here, we present a method for electronically triggered release of the quaternary ammonium cation acetylcholine (ACh) from an impregnated conductive polymer film. Using supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO 2 ), a film of PEDOT/PSS (poly(3,4)-ethylenedioxythiophene doped with poly(styrenesulfonate)) is impregnated with the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. The gentle scCO 2 process generated a dry, drug-impregnated surface, well suited for interaction with biological material, while maintaining normal electrochemical properties of the polymer. Electrochemical switching of impregnated PEDOT/PSS films stimulated release of ACh from the polymer matrix, likely due to swelling mediated by the influx and efflux of charged and solvated ions. Triggered release of ACh did not affect the biological activity of the drug. This was shown by real-time monitoring of intracellular Ca 2+ signaling in neurotypic cells growing on the impregnated polymer surface. Collectively, scCO 2 impregnation of conducting polymers offers the first one-step, dopant-independent drug impregnation process, potentially facilitating loading of both anionic and cationic drugs that can be dissolved in scCO2 on its own or by using a co-solvent. We foresee that scCO 2 -loaded devices for electronically triggered drug release will create novel opportunities when generating active bio-coatings, tunable for specific needs, in a variety of medical settings. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Functional Connectivity’s Degenerate View of Brain Computation

PubMed Central

Giron, Alain; Rudrauf, David

2016-01-01

Brain computation relies on effective interactions between ensembles of neurons. In neuroimaging, measures of functional connectivity (FC) aim at statistically quantifying such interactions, often to study normal or pathological cognition. Their capacity to reflect a meaningful variety of patterns as expected from neural computation in relation to cognitive processes remains debated. The relative weights of time-varying local neurophysiological dynamics versus static structural connectivity (SC) in the generation of FC as measured remains unsettled. Empirical evidence features mixed results: from little to significant FC variability and correlation with cognitive functions, within and between participants. We used a unified approach combining multivariate analysis, bootstrap and computational modeling to characterize the potential variety of patterns of FC and SC both qualitatively and quantitatively. Empirical data and simulations from generative models with different dynamical behaviors demonstrated, largely irrespective of FC metrics, that a linear subspace with dimension one or two could explain much of the variability across patterns of FC. On the contrary, the variability across BOLD time-courses could not be reduced to such a small subspace. FC appeared to strongly reflect SC and to be partly governed by a Gaussian process. The main differences between simulated and empirical data related to limitations of DWI-based SC estimation (and SC itself could then be estimated from FC). Above and beyond the limited dynamical range of the BOLD signal itself, measures of FC may offer a degenerate representation of brain interactions, with limited access to the underlying complexity. They feature an invariant common core, reflecting the channel capacity of the network as conditioned by SC, with a limited, though perhaps meaningful residual variability. PMID:27736900

Influence of in vivo growth on human glioma cell line gene expression: Convergent profiles under orthotopic conditions

PubMed Central

Camphausen, Kevin; Purow, Benjamin; Sproull, Mary; Scott, Tamalee; Ozawa, Tomoko; Deen, Dennis F.; Tofilon, Philip J.

2005-01-01

Defining the molecules that regulate tumor cell survival is an essential prerequisite for the development of targeted approaches to cancer treatment. Whereas many studies aimed at identifying such targets use human tumor cells grown in vitro or as s.c. xenografts, it is unclear whether such experimental models replicate the phenotype of the in situ tumor cell. To begin addressing this issue, we have used microarray analysis to define the gene expression profile of two human glioma cell lines (U251 and U87) when grown in vitro and in vivo as s.c. or as intracerebral (i.c.) xenografts. For each cell line, the gene expression profile generated from tissue culture was significantly different from that generated from the s.c. tumor, which was significantly different from those grown i.c. The disparity between the i.c gene expression profiles and those generated from s.c. xenografts suggests that whereas an in vivo growth environment modulates gene expression, orthotopic growth conditions induce a different set of modifications. In this study the U251 and U87 gene expression profiles generated under the three growth conditions were also compared. As expected, the profiles of the two glioma cell lines were significantly different when grown as monolayer cultures. However, the glioma cell lines had similar gene expression profiles when grown i.c. These results suggest that tumor cell gene expression, and thus phenotype, as defined in vitro is affected not only by in vivo growth but also by orthotopic growth, which may have implications regarding the identification of relevant targets for cancer therapy. PMID:15928080

Comparison of the efficiency of antibody selection from semi-synthetic scFv and non-immune Fab phage display libraries against protein targets for rapid development of diagnostic immunoassays.

PubMed

Chan, Conrad E Z; Chan, Annie H Y; Lim, Angeline P C; Hanson, Brendon J

2011-10-28

Rapid development of diagnostic immunoassays against novel emerging or genetically modified pathogens in an emergency situation is dependent on the timely isolation of specific antibodies. Non-immune antibody phage display libraries are an efficient in vitro method for selecting monoclonal antibodies and hence ideal in these circumstances. Such libraries can be constructed from a variety of sources e.g. B cell cDNA or synthetically generated, and use a variety of antibody formats, typically scFv or Fab. However, antibody source and format can impact on the quality of antibodies generated and hence the effectiveness of this methodology for the timely production of antibodies. We have carried out a comparative screening of two antibody libraries, a semi-synthetic scFv library and a human-derived Fab library against the protective antigen toxin component of Bacillus anthracis and the epsilon toxin of Clostridium botulinum. We have shown that while the synthetic library produced a diverse collection of specific scFv-phage, these contained a high frequency of unnatural amber stops and glycosylation sites which limited their conversion to IgG, and also a high number which lost specificity when expressed as IgG. In contrast, these limitations were overcome by the use of a natural human library. Antibodies from both libraries could be used to develop sandwich ELISA assays with similar sensitivity. However, the ease and speed with which full-length IgG could be generated from the human-derived Fab library makes screening this type of library the preferable method for rapid antibody generation for diagnostic assay development. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Observation of ion acoustic multi-Peregrine solitons in multicomponent plasma with negative ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pathak, Pallabi; Sharma, Sumita K.; Nakamura, Y.; Bailung, H.

2017-12-01

The evolution of the multi-Peregrine soliton is investigated in a multicomponent plasma and found to be critically dependent on the initial bound state. Formation and splitting of Peregrine soliton, broadening of the frequency spectra provide clear evidence of nonlinear-dispersive focusing due to modulational instability, a generic mechanism for rogue wave formation in which amplitude and phase modulation grow as a result of interplay between nonlinearity and anomalous dispersion. We have shown that initial perturbation parameters (amplitude & temporal length) critically determine the number of solitons evolution. It is also found that a sufficiently long wavelength perturbation of high amplitude invoke strong nonlinearity to generate a supercontinuum state. Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT) and Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis of the experimental time series data clearly indicate the spatio-temporal localization and spectral broadening. We consider a model based on the frame work of Nonlinear Schrodinger equation (NLSE) to explain the experimental observations.

A trillion frames per second: the techniques and applications of light-in-flight photography.

PubMed

Faccio, Daniele; Velten, Andreas

2018-06-14

Cameras capable of capturing videos at a trillion frames per second allow to freeze light in motion, a very counterintuitive capability when related to our everyday experience in which light appears to travel instantaneously. By combining this capability with computational imaging techniques, new imaging opportunities emerge such as three dimensional imaging of scenes that are hidden behind a corner, the study of relativistic distortion effects, imaging through diffusive media and imaging of ultrafast optical processes such as laser ablation, supercontinuum and plasma generation. We provide an overview of the main techniques that have been developed for ultra-high speed photography with a particular focus on `light in flight' imaging, i.e. applications where the key element is the imaging of light itself at frame rates that allow to freeze it's motion and therefore extract information that would otherwise be blurred out and lost. . © 2018 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Progress in Cherenkov femtosecond fiber lasers

PubMed Central

Liu, Xiaomin; Svane, Ask S.; Lægsgaard, Jesper; Tu, Haohua; Boppart, Stephen A.; Turchinovich, Dmitry

2016-01-01

We review the recent developments in the field of ultrafast Cherenkov fiber lasers. Two essential properties of such laser systems – broad wavelength tunability and high efficiency of Cherenkov radiation wavelength conversion are discussed. The exceptional performance of the Cherenkov fiber laser systems are highlighted - dependent on the realization scheme, the Cherenkov lasers can generate the femtosecond output tunable across the entire visible and even the UV range, and for certain designs more than 40 % conversion efficiency from the pump to Cherenkov signal can be achieved. The femtosecond Cherenkov laser with all-fiber architecture is presented and discussed. Operating in the visible range, it delivers 100–200 fs wavelength-tunable pulses with multimilliwatt output power and exceptionally low noise figure an order of magnitude lower than the traditional wavelength tunable supercontinuum-based femtosecond sources. The applications for Cherenkov laser systems in practical biophotonics and biomedical applications, such as bio-imaging and microscopy, are discussed. PMID:27110037

Enhancement of 800 nm upconversion emission in a thulium doped tellurite microstructured fiber pumped by a 1560 nm femtosecond fiber laser

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jia, Zhixu; Zheng, Kezhi; State Key Laboratory on Integrated Optoelectronics, College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130012

We report enhanced upconversion (UC) fluorescence in Tm{sup 3+} doped tellurite microstructured fibers (TDTMFs) fabricated by using a rod-in-tube method. Under the pumping of a 1560 nm femtosecond fiber laser, ultrabroadband supercontinuum light expanding from ∼1050 to ∼2700 nm was generated in a 4 cm long TDTMF. Simultaneously, intense 800 nm UC emission from the {sup 3}H{sub 4} → {sup 3}H{sub 6} transition of Tm{sup 3+} was observed in the same TDTMF. Compared to that pumped by a 1560 nm continuous wave fiber laser, the UC emission intensity was enhanced by ∼4.1 times. The enhancement was due to the spectral broadening in the TDTMF under themore » pumping of the 1560 nm femtosecond fiber laser.« less

Carrier-envelope-phase control of asymmetries in the multiphoton ionization of xenon atoms by ultrashort bichromatic fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kerbstadt, S.; Pengel, D.; Englert, L.; Bayer, T.; Wollenhaupt, M.

2018-06-01

We report on bichromatic multiphoton ionization of xenon atoms (Xe) to demonstrate carrier-envelope-phase (CEP) control of lateral asymmetries in the photoelectron momentum distribution. In the experiments, we employ a 4 f polarization pulse shaper to sculpture bichromatic fields with commensurable center frequencies ω1:ω2=7 :8 from an over-octave-spanning CEP-stable white light supercontinuum by spectral amplitude and phase modulation. The bichromatic fields are spectrally tailored to induce controlled interferences of 7- vs 8-photon quantum pathways in the 5 P3 /2 ionization continuum of Xe. The CEP sensitivity of the asymmetric final-state wave function arises from coherent superposition of continuum states with opposite parity. Our results demonstrate that shaper-generated bichromatic fields with tailored center frequency ratio are a suitable tool to localize CEP-sensitive asymmetries in a specific photoelectron kinetic-energy window.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Patankar, S.; Gumbrell, E. T.; Robinson, T. S.

Here we report a new method using high stability, laser-driven supercontinuum generation in a liquid cell to calibrate the absolute photon response of fast optical streak cameras as a function of wavelength when operating at fastest sweep speeds. A stable, pulsed white light source based around the use of self-phase modulation in a salt solution was developed to provide the required brightness on picosecond timescales, enabling streak camera calibration in fully dynamic operation. The measured spectral brightness allowed for absolute photon response calibration over a broad spectral range (425-650nm). Calibrations performed with two Axis Photonique streak cameras using the Photonismore » P820PSU streak tube demonstrated responses which qualitatively follow the photocathode response. Peak sensitivities were 1 photon/count above background. The absolute dynamic sensitivity is less than the static by up to an order of magnitude. We attribute this to the dynamic response of the phosphor being lower.« less

Femtosecond Laser Filamentation for Atmospheric Sensing

PubMed Central

Xu, Huai Liang; Chin, See Leang

2011-01-01

Powerful femtosecond laser pulses propagating in transparent materials result in the formation of self-guided structures called filaments. Such filamentation in air can be controlled to occur at a distance as far as a few kilometers, making it ideally suited for remote sensing of pollutants in the atmosphere. On the one hand, the high intensity inside the filaments can induce the fragmentation of all matters in the path of filaments, resulting in the emission of characteristic fluorescence spectra (fingerprints) from the excited fragments, which can be used for the identification of various substances including chemical and biological species. On the other hand, along with the femtosecond laser filamentation, white-light supercontinuum emission in the infrared to UV range is generated, which can be used as an ideal light source for absorption Lidar. In this paper, we present an overview of recent progress concerning remote sensing of the atmosphere using femtosecond laser filamentation. PMID:22346566

Progress in Cherenkov femtosecond fiber lasers.

PubMed

Liu, Xiaomin; Svane, Ask S; Lægsgaard, Jesper; Tu, Haohua; Boppart, Stephen A; Turchinovich, Dmitry

2016-01-20

We review the recent developments in the field of ultrafast Cherenkov fiber lasers. Two essential properties of such laser systems - broad wavelength tunability and high efficiency of Cherenkov radiation wavelength conversion are discussed. The exceptional performance of the Cherenkov fiber laser systems are highlighted - dependent on the realization scheme, the Cherenkov lasers can generate the femtosecond output tunable across the entire visible and even the UV range, and for certain designs more than 40 % conversion efficiency from the pump to Cherenkov signal can be achieved. The femtosecond Cherenkov laser with all-fiber architecture is presented and discussed. Operating in the visible range, it delivers 100-200 fs wavelength-tunable pulses with multimilliwatt output power and exceptionally low noise figure an order of magnitude lower than the traditional wavelength tunable supercontinuum-based femtosecond sources. The applications for Cherenkov laser systems in practical biophotonics and biomedical applications, such as bio-imaging and microscopy, are discussed.

Room-temperature-deposited dielectrics and superconductors for integrated photonics.

PubMed

Shainline, Jeffrey M; Buckley, Sonia M; Nader, Nima; Gentry, Cale M; Cossel, Kevin C; Cleary, Justin W; Popović, Miloš; Newbury, Nathan R; Nam, Sae Woo; Mirin, Richard P

2017-05-01

We present an approach to fabrication and packaging of integrated photonic devices that utilizes waveguide and detector layers deposited at near-ambient temperature. All lithography is performed with a 365 nm i-line stepper, facilitating low cost and high scalability. We have shown low-loss SiN waveguides, high-Q ring resonators, critically coupled ring resonators, 50/50 beam splitters, Mach-Zehnder interferometers (MZIs) and a process-agnostic fiber packaging scheme. We have further explored the utility of this process for applications in nonlinear optics and quantum photonics. We demonstrate spectral tailoring and octave-spanning supercontinuum generation as well as the integration of superconducting nanowire single photon detectors with MZIs and channel-dropping filters. The packaging approach is suitable for operation up to 160 ^°C as well as below 1 K. The process is well suited for augmentation of existing foundry capabilities or as a stand-alone process.

Functional brain connectivity is predictable from anatomic network's Laplacian eigen-structure.

PubMed

Abdelnour, Farras; Dayan, Michael; Devinsky, Orrin; Thesen, Thomas; Raj, Ashish

2018-05-15

How structural connectivity (SC) gives rise to functional connectivity (FC) is not fully understood. Here we mathematically derive a simple relationship between SC measured from diffusion tensor imaging, and FC from resting state fMRI. We establish that SC and FC are related via (structural) Laplacian spectra, whereby FC and SC share eigenvectors and their eigenvalues are exponentially related. This gives, for the first time, a simple and analytical relationship between the graph spectra of structural and functional networks. Laplacian eigenvectors are shown to be good predictors of functional eigenvectors and networks based on independent component analysis of functional time series. A small number of Laplacian eigenmodes are shown to be sufficient to reconstruct FC matrices, serving as basis functions. This approach is fast, and requires no time-consuming simulations. It was tested on two empirical SC/FC datasets, and was found to significantly outperform generative model simulations of coupled neural masses. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Comparison of the transcriptpmes of long-tern label retaining-cells and C cells microdissected from mammary epithelium: an initial study to character potential stem/progenitor cells

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Mammary stem cells (MaSC) account for the cell lineage of mammary epithelia and provide for mammary growth, development and tissue homeostasis. The presence of MaSC was clearly demonstrated by the generation of an entire mammary gland from a single cell implanted into epithelium-ablated mammary fat...

Environmental Action and Student Environmental Leaders: Exploring the Influence of Environmental Attitudes, Locus of Control, and Sense of Personal Responsibility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ernst, Julie; Blood, Nathaniel; Beery, Thomas

2017-01-01

The Student Climate and Conservation Congress (SC3) is a joint educational effort between the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Green Schools Alliance that aims to develop the next generation of conservation leaders through fostering action competence in youth. Data from SC3 participants was used to investigate four predictors of…

The effect of veneering on the marginal fit of CAD/CAM-generated, copy-milled, and cast metal copings.

PubMed

Ates, Sabit Melih; Yesil Duymus, Zeynep; Caglar, Ipek; Hologlu, Bilal

2017-11-01

This in vitro study investigated the marginal fit of metal and zirconia copings before and after veneering on dies with shoulder/chamfer (s/c) finish lines. Using CAD/CAM, ten (n = 10) each s/c zirconia (NZ) copings and ten (n = 10) each s/c metal (MM) copings were generated. As controls, ten (n = 10) each s/c zirconia copings were copy-milled (ZZ) and ten (n = 10) each s/c metal copings were cast (CC). The vertical marginal discrepancy of the copings was measured at 20 predefined spots of the circular shoulder and chamfer finish lines in microns (μm) before and after a first and a second veneering firing using a stereomicroscope at ×40 magnification. Data were statistically analyzed, and the comparisons of CAD/CAM-milled (NZ, MM), copy-milled (ZZ), and cast (CC) copings before and after veneering were made at a significance level of p < 0.05. Gap width at s/c finish lines of ZZ was (91 ± 11/100 ± 28) and increased significantly (109 ± 21/141 ± 18) after the first firing (ZZ1). NZ showed significantly smaller gaps than ZZ (36 ± 6/46 ± 12) and (NZ1) after the first firing (61 ± 16/71 ± 29). Gap widths of CC groups (36 ± 8/25 ± 4) were not significantly different from NZ but were significantly lower after the (CC1) first veneering firing (40 ± 8/42 ± 7). MM copings showed gap values similar to NZ. Second firings did not significantly increase gaps in all groups except ZZ2 of chamfer finish line. Veneering increased the marginal gap width of copings. Within the limits of this in vitro study, aesthetic ceramic veneering of CAD/CAM-generated copings caused a statistically significant but tolerable loss of marginal fit precision.

Microarchitecture of Schlemm Canal Before and After Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty in Enhanced Depth Imaging Optical Coherence Tomography.

PubMed

Skaat, Alon; Rosman, Michael S; Chien, Jason L; Ghassibi, Mark P; Liebmann, Jeffrey M; Ritch, Robert; Park, Sung Chul

2017-04-01

To characterize the in vivo effect of selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) on the Schlemm canal (SC) in eyes with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Eighty-one serial horizontal enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomograph B-scans (interval between B-scans, ∼35 μm) of the nasal corneoscleral limbus were obtained before and 4 weeks after SLT. Fifty B-scans in the overlapping regions before and after SLT were selected for analysis based on the structures of aqueous and blood vessels as landmarks. The SC cross-sectional area (CSA) was measured in each selected B-scan and averaged to generate the mean SC CSA of the eye. SC volume in the overlapping region was calculated using commercially available 3-dimensional reconstruction software. The mean SC CSA and SC volume were compared between pre-SLT and post-SLT B-scans. Correlation analysis was performed between SC CSA changes and intraocular pressure (IOP) changes. Thirteen POAG eyes (13 patients) were included for analysis (mean age, 68.2±9.2 y). After SLT, the mean IOP was reduced from 19.8±7.6 to 14.4±3.8 mm Hg (P=0.003); the mean SC CSA increased by 8%, from 2478±550 to 2682±598 μm (P=0.029); and the mean SC volume increased from 4,304,592±954,777 to 4,658,250±1,039,956 μm (P=0.029). Increase in SC CSA had a significant positive correlation with IOP reduction after SLT (P=0.023, R=0.622). SLT expands SC in POAG patients and even more so with greater IOP reduction after SLT. Post-SLT expansion of SC may be due to increased trabecular aqueous outflow, IOP decrease, or structural changes in trabecular meshwork resulting from SLT.

The influence of antibody fragment format on phage display based affinity maturation of IgG

PubMed Central

Steinwand, Miriam; Droste, Patrick; Frenzel, Andrè; Hust, Michael; Dübel, Stefan; Schirrmann, Thomas

2014-01-01

Today, most approved therapeutic antibodies are provided as immunoglobulin G (IgG), whereas small recombinant antibody formats are required for in vitro antibody generation and engineering during drug development. Particularly, single chain (sc) antibody fragments like scFv or scFab are well suited for phage display and bacterial expression, but some have been found to lose affinity during conversion into IgG.   In this study, we compared the influence of the antibody format on affinity maturation of the CD30-specific scFv antibody fragment SH313-F9, with the overall objective being improvement of the IgG. The variable genes of SH313-F9 were randomly mutated and then cloned into libraries encoding different recombinant antibody formats, including scFv, Fab, scFabΔC, and FabΔC. All tested antibody formats except Fab allowed functional phage display of the parental antibody SH313-F9, and the corresponding mutated antibody gene libraries allowed isolation of candidates with enhanced CD30 binding. Moreover, scFv and scFabΔC antibody variants retained improved antigen binding after subcloning into the single gene encoded IgG-like formats scFv-Fc or scIgG, but lost affinity after conversion into IgGs. Only affinity maturation using the Fab-like FabΔC format, which does not contain the carboxy terminal cysteines, allowed successful selection of molecules with improved binding that was retained after conversion to IgG. Thus, affinity maturation of IgGs is dependent on the antibody format employed for selection and screening. In this study, only FabΔC resulted in the efficient selection of IgG candidates with higher affinity by combination of Fab-like conformation and improved phage display compared with Fab. PMID:24262918

Piezoelectric characterization of Sc0.26Al0.74N layers on Si (001) substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinusía Lozano, M.; Pérez-Campos, A.; Reusch, M.; Kirste, L.; Fuchs, Th; Žukauskaitė, A.; Chen, Z.; Iriarte, G. F.

2018-03-01

Scandium aluminum nitride (ScAlN) films have been synthesized by pulsed-DC reactive magnetron sputtering. The degree of c-axis orientation as well as piezoelectric characteristics of the Sc0.26Al0.74N thin films grown on Si (001) at various discharge powers and processing pressures values have been investigated. According to x-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements, the texture of the as-grown Sc0.26Al0.74N thin films becomes more prominent in the [0001]-direction at the highest target power (700 W) and at the lowest processing pressure (4 mTorr). The piezoelectric response, as determined by measuring the d33 piezoelectric constant, shows a maximum value of -12 pC/N also at 4 mTorr and 700 W, confirming a direct correlation between the d33 piezoelectric constant and the degree of orientation in the [0001]-direction. The atomic concentration of Sc and Al in the synthesized ScAlN thin film, determined by secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), reveals a Sc concentration lower than in the ScAl alloy target. The piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) shows homogeneous polarity distribution with no inversion domains. The piezoelectric layers have been used to fabricate and measure surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonators on a Sc0.26Al0.74N/Si (001) bilayer system with resonance frequency of 1.4 GHz and coupling coefficient of 0.567. Such characteristic in the frequency response reveals the potential of these materials for advanced SAW devices in applications such as next generation (5 G) wireless communication systems.

Observation and Modeling of the Generation Mechanism of Ion Upflow during Sudden Commencement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zou, S.; Ozturk, D. S.; Li, C.; Varney, R. H.; Reimer, A.

2017-12-01

Sudden commencement (SC) induced by solar wind pressure enhancement can produce significant global impact on the coupled magnetosphere-ionosphere (MI) system, and its effects have been studied extensively using ground magnetometers and coherent scatter radars. However, very limited observations have been reported about the effects of SC on the ionospheric plasma. We study the ionosphere response to the SC using the Poker Flat incoherent scatter radar (PFISR) and numerical simulations. A detailed case study of SC during the 17 March 2015 storm was conducted. PFISR observed lifting of the F region ionosphere, transient field-aligned ion upflow, prompt but short-lived ion temperature increase, subsequent F region density decrease, and persistent electron temperature increase. A global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation has been carried out to characterize the SC-induced current, convection, and magnetic perturbations. Simulated magnetic perturbations at Poker Flat show a satisfactory agreement with observations. The simulation provides a global context for linking localized PFISR observations to large-scale dynamic processes in the MI system. Following the case study, we also perform a statistical study of the effects of SC on the ionosphere focusing on the magnetic local time and latitudinal asymmetries using PFISR and GPS TEC.

Neurotransmitter involvement in development and maintenance of the auditory space map in the guinea pig superior colliculus.

PubMed

Ingham, N J; Thornton, S K; McCrossan, D; Withington, D J

1998-12-01

Neurotransmitter involvement in development and maintenance of the auditory space map in the guinea pig superior colliculus. J. Neurophysiol. 80: 2941-2953, 1998. The mammalian superior colliculus (SC) is a complex area of the midbrain in terms of anatomy, physiology, and neurochemistry. The SC bears representations of the major sensory modalites integrated with a motor output system. It is implicated with saccade generation, in behavioral responses to novel sensory stimuli and receives innervation from diverse regions of the brain using many neurotransmitter classes. Ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (Elvax-40W polymer) was used here to deliver chronically neurotransmitter receptor antagonists to the SC of the guinea pig to investigate the potential role played by the major neurotransmitter systems in the collicular representation of auditory space. Slices of polymer containing different drugs were implanted onto the SC of guinea pigs before the development of the SC azimuthal auditory space map, at approximately 20 days after birth (DAB). A further group of animals was exposed to aminophosphonopentanoic acid (AP5) at approximately 250 DAB. Azimuthal spatial tuning properties of deep layer multiunits of anesthetized guinea pigs were examined approximately 20 days after implantation of the Elvax polymer. Broadband noise bursts were presented to the animals under anechoic, free-field conditions. Neuronal responses were used to construct polar plots representative of the auditory spatial multiunit receptive fields (MURFs). Animals exposed to control polymer could develop a map of auditory space in the SC comparable with that seen in unimplanted normal animals. Exposure of the SC of young animals to AP5, 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione, or atropine, resulted in a reduction in the proportion of spatially tuned responses with an increase in the proportion of broadly tuned responses and a degradation in topographic order. Thus N-methyl--aspartate (NMDA) and non-NMDA glutamate receptors and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors appear to play vital roles in the development of the SC auditory space map. A group of animals exposed to AP5 beginning at approximately 250 DAB produced results very similar to those obtained in the young group exposed to AP5. Thus NMDA glutamate receptors also seem to be involved in the maintenance of the SC representation of auditory space in the adult guinea pig. Exposure of the SC of young guinea pigs to gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor blocking agents produced some but not total disruption of the spatial tuning of auditory MURFs. Receptive fields were large compared with controls, but a significant degree of topographical organization was maintained. GABA receptors may play a role in the development of fine tuning and sharpening of auditory spatial responses in the SC but not necessarily in the generation of topographical order of the these responses.

Combining EL4-B5-based B-cell stimulation and phage display technology for the successful isolation of human anti-Scl-70 autoantibody fragments.

PubMed

Weber, Malte; Weiss, Etienne; Engel, Alfred M

2003-07-01

Scl-70 is the major antigen recognised by autoantibodies in the sera of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). The autoantibodies that specifically react with Scl-70 are highly characteristic of the disease and represent valuable markers for the diagnosis of SSc. We describe a novel strategy for cloning autoantibody fragments starting with a small blood sample from an SSc patient. B cells isolated from the collected peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were cultured in vitro using the EL4-B5 system. Anti-Scl-70 IgG-producing cells were pooled for RNA preparation followed by the generation of phagemid libraries of approximately 10(7) independent single-chain Fvs (scFvs). The screening of these libraries by phage display allowed us to isolate four anti-Scl-70 scFvs following three rounds of biopanning. About 10 times more starting blood material was needed to generate scFv libraries of similar size from PBMCs of an SSc patient and only two anti-Scl-70 scFvs were isolated after three rounds of phage selection. Together, this work shows that functional autoantibody fragments can be advantageously cloned after in vitro expansion of B cells. The isolated anti-Scl-70 autoantibody fragments represent useful tools for calibrating SSc diagnostic assays.

An efficient method for variable region assembly in the construction of scFv phage display libraries using independent strand amplification

PubMed Central

Sotelo, Pablo H.; Collazo, Noberto; Zuñiga, Roberto; Gutiérrez-González, Matías; Catalán, Diego; Ribeiro, Carolina Hager; Aguillón, Juan Carlos; Molina, María Carmen

2012-01-01

Phage display library technology is a common method to produce human antibodies. In this technique, the immunoglobulin variable regions are displayed in a bacteriophage in a way that each filamentous virus displays the product of a single antibody gene on its surface. From the collection of different phages, it is possible to isolate the virus that recognizes specific targets. The most common form in which to display antibody variable regions in the phage is the single chain variable fragment format (scFv), which requires assembly of the heavy and light immunoglobulin variable regions in a single gene. In this work, we describe a simple and efficient method for the assembly of immunoglobulin heavy and light chain variable regions in a scFv format. This procedure involves a two-step reaction: (1) DNA amplification to produce the single strand form of the heavy or light chain gene required for the fusion; and (2) mixture of both single strand products followed by an assembly reaction to construct a complete scFv gene. Using this method, we produced 6-fold more scFv encoding DNA than the commonly used splicing by overlap extension PCR (SOE-PCR) approach. The scFv gene produced by this method also proved to be efficient in generating a diverse scFv phage display library. From this scFv library, we obtained phages that bound several non-related antigens, including recombinant proteins and rotavirus particles. PMID:22692130

Intensity distributions and isolated attosecond pulse generation from molecular high-order harmonic generation in H2+ driven by nonhomogeneous field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Liqiang; Chu, Tianshu

2017-10-01

Intensity distributions and isolated attosecond pulse generation from the molecular high-order harmonic generation (MHHG) in H2+ and T2+ driven by the nonhomogeneous field have been theoretically investigated. (i) Generally speaking, the intensities of the harmonics driven by the homogeneous field can be enhanced as the initial vibrational state increases and much more intense harmonics can be obtained from the light nuclei. However, with the introduction of the nonhomogeneous effect, the enhanced ratios of the harmonic yields are decreased as the initial vibrational state increases. Moreover, the intensities of the harmonics from H2+ and T2+ are very sensitive to the nonhomogeneous effect of the laser field. (ii) The contributions of the MHHG from the two-H nuclei present the periodic variation as a function of the laser phase for the case of the symmetric nonhomogeneous field. However, for the case of the positive and the negative asymmetric nonhomogeneous fields, the left-H and the right-H play the dominating role in the MHHG, respectively. Moreover, as the angle between the laser polarization direction and the molecular axis increases, the intensity differences of the harmonics from the two-H nuclei are increased. (iii) By properly adding a half-cycle pulse into the positive asymmetric nonhomogeneous field, a supercontinuum with the bandwidth of 279 eV and an isolated 25 as pulse can be obtained.

Study of Nonlinear Propagation of Ultrashort Laser Pulses and Its Application to Harmonic Generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weerawarne, Darshana L.

Laser filamentation, which is one of the exotic nonlinear optical phenomena, is self-guidance of high-power laser beams due to the dynamic balance between the optical Kerr effect (self-focusing) and other nonlinear effects such as plasma defocusing. It has many applications including supercontinuum generation (SCG), high-order harmonic generation (HHG), lightning guiding, stand-off sensing, and rain making. The main focus of this work is on studying odd-order harmonic generation (HG) (i.e., 3o, 5o, 7o, etc., where o is the angular frequency) in centrosymmetric media while a high-power, ultrashort harmonic-driving pulse undergoes nonlinear propagation such as laser filamentation. The investigation of highly-controversial nonlinear indices of refraction by measuring low-order HG in air is carried out. Furthermore, time-resolved (i.e., pump-probe) experiments and significant harmonic enhancements are presented and a novel HG mechanism based on higher-order nonlinearities is proposed to explain the experimental results. C/C++ numerical simulations are used to solve the nonlinear Schrodinger equation (NLSE) which supports the experimental findings. Another project which I have performed is selective sintering using lasers. Short-pulse lasers provide a fascinating tool for material processing, especially when the conventional oven-based techniques fail to process flexible materials for smart energy/electronics applications. I present experimental and theoretical studies on laser processing of nanoparticle-coated flexible materials, aiming to fabricate flexible electronic devices.

Ultra-high resolution spectral domain optical coherence tomography using supercontinuum light source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, Yiheng; Yatagai, Toyohiko; Otani, Yukitoshi

2016-04-01

An ultra-high resolution spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) was developed using a cost-effective supercontinuum laser. A spectral filter consists of a dispersive prism, a cylindrical lens and a right-angle prism was built to transmit the wavelengths in range 680-940 nm to the OCT system. The SD-OCT has achieved 1.9 μm axial resolution and the sensitivity was estimated to be 91.5 dB. A zero-crossing fringes matching method which maps the wavelengths to the pixel indices of the spectrometer was proposed for the OCT spectral calibration. A double sided foam tape as a static sample and the tip of a middle finger as a biological sample were measured by the OCT. The adhesive and the internal structure of the foam of the tape were successfully visualized in three dimensions. Sweat ducts was clearly observed in the OCT images at very high resolution. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of ultra-high resolution visualization of sweat duct by OCT.

Effect of Dielectric and Liquid on Plasma Sterilization Using Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma

PubMed Central

Mastanaiah, Navya; Johnson, Judith A.; Roy, Subrata

2013-01-01

Plasma sterilization offers a faster, less toxic and versatile alternative to conventional sterilization methods. Using a relatively small, low temperature, atmospheric, dielectric barrier discharge surface plasma generator, we achieved ≥6 log reduction in concentration of vegetative bacterial and yeast cells within 4 minutes and ≥6 log reduction of Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores within 20 minutes. Plasma sterilization is influenced by a wide variety of factors. Two factors studied in this particular paper are the effect of using different dielectric substrates and the significance of the amount of liquid on the dielectric surface. Of the two dielectric substrates tested (FR4 and semi-ceramic (SC)), it is noted that the FR4 is more efficient in terms of time taken for complete inactivation. FR4 is more efficient at generating plasma as shown by the intensity of spectral peaks, amount of ozone generated, the power used and the speed of killing vegetative cells. The surface temperature during plasma generation is also higher in the case of FR4. An inoculated FR4 or SC device produces less ozone than the respective clean devices. Temperature studies show that the surface temperatures reached during plasma generation are in the range of 30°C–66°C (for FR4) and 20°C–49°C (for SC). Surface temperatures during plasma generation of inoculated devices are lower than the corresponding temperatures of clean devices. pH studies indicate a slight reduction in pH value due to plasma generation, which implies that while temperature and acidification may play a minor role in DBD plasma sterilization, the presence of the liquid on the dielectric surface hampers sterilization and as the liquid evaporates, sterilization improves. PMID:23951023

Effect of dielectric and liquid on plasma sterilization using dielectric barrier discharge plasma.

PubMed

Mastanaiah, Navya; Johnson, Judith A; Roy, Subrata

2013-01-01

Plasma sterilization offers a faster, less toxic and versatile alternative to conventional sterilization methods. Using a relatively small, low temperature, atmospheric, dielectric barrier discharge surface plasma generator, we achieved ≥ 6 log reduction in concentration of vegetative bacterial and yeast cells within 4 minutes and ≥ 6 log reduction of Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores within 20 minutes. Plasma sterilization is influenced by a wide variety of factors. Two factors studied in this particular paper are the effect of using different dielectric substrates and the significance of the amount of liquid on the dielectric surface. Of the two dielectric substrates tested (FR4 and semi-ceramic (SC)), it is noted that the FR4 is more efficient in terms of time taken for complete inactivation. FR4 is more efficient at generating plasma as shown by the intensity of spectral peaks, amount of ozone generated, the power used and the speed of killing vegetative cells. The surface temperature during plasma generation is also higher in the case of FR4. An inoculated FR4 or SC device produces less ozone than the respective clean devices. Temperature studies show that the surface temperatures reached during plasma generation are in the range of 30°C-66 °C (for FR4) and 20 °C-49 °C (for SC). Surface temperatures during plasma generation of inoculated devices are lower than the corresponding temperatures of clean devices. pH studies indicate a slight reduction in pH value due to plasma generation, which implies that while temperature and acidification may play a minor role in DBD plasma sterilization, the presence of the liquid on the dielectric surface hampers sterilization and as the liquid evaporates, sterilization improves.

Complementarity determining regions and frameworks contribute to the disulfide bond independent folding of intrinsically stable scFv

PubMed Central

Gąciarz, Anna

2017-01-01

CyDisCo is a system facilitating disulfide bond formation in recombinant proteins in the cytoplasm of Escherichia coli. Previously we screened for soluble expression of single chain antibody fragments (scFv) in the cytoplasm of E. coli in the presence and absence of CyDisCo, with >90% being solubly expressed. Two scFv, those derived from natalizumab and trastuzumab, were solubly produced in high amounts even in the absence of folding catalysts i.e. disulfide bond formation is not critical for their folding. Here we investigate the contribution of the framework and the complementarity determining regions (CDRs) of scFv to the disulfide-independence of folding. We swapped CDRs between four scFv that have different properties, including two scFv that can efficiently fold independently from disulfide bonds and two more disulfide-dependent scFv. To confirm disulfide-independence we generated cysteine to alanine mutants of the disulfide-independent scFv. All of the scFv were tested for soluble expression in the cytoplasm of E. coli in the presence and absence of the oxidative folding catalysts Erv1p and PDI. Eight of the hybrid scFv were solubly produced in the presence of CyDisCo, while seven were solubly produced in the absence of CyDisCo, though the yields were often much lower when CyDisCo was absent. Soluble expression was also observed for scFv natalizumab and trastuzumab containing no cysteines. We compared yields, thermal stability and secondary structure of solubly produced scFv and undertook binding studies by western blotting, dot blotting or surface plasmon resonance of those produced in good yields. Our results indicate that both the CDRs and the framework contribute to the disulfide-dependence of soluble production of scFv, with the CDRs having the largest effect. In addition, there was no correlation between thermal stability and disulfide-dependence of folding and only a weak correlation between the yield of protein and the thermal stability of the protein. PMID:29253024

Complementarity determining regions and frameworks contribute to the disulfide bond independent folding of intrinsically stable scFv.

PubMed

Gąciarz, Anna; Ruddock, Lloyd W

2017-01-01

CyDisCo is a system facilitating disulfide bond formation in recombinant proteins in the cytoplasm of Escherichia coli. Previously we screened for soluble expression of single chain antibody fragments (scFv) in the cytoplasm of E. coli in the presence and absence of CyDisCo, with >90% being solubly expressed. Two scFv, those derived from natalizumab and trastuzumab, were solubly produced in high amounts even in the absence of folding catalysts i.e. disulfide bond formation is not critical for their folding. Here we investigate the contribution of the framework and the complementarity determining regions (CDRs) of scFv to the disulfide-independence of folding. We swapped CDRs between four scFv that have different properties, including two scFv that can efficiently fold independently from disulfide bonds and two more disulfide-dependent scFv. To confirm disulfide-independence we generated cysteine to alanine mutants of the disulfide-independent scFv. All of the scFv were tested for soluble expression in the cytoplasm of E. coli in the presence and absence of the oxidative folding catalysts Erv1p and PDI. Eight of the hybrid scFv were solubly produced in the presence of CyDisCo, while seven were solubly produced in the absence of CyDisCo, though the yields were often much lower when CyDisCo was absent. Soluble expression was also observed for scFv natalizumab and trastuzumab containing no cysteines. We compared yields, thermal stability and secondary structure of solubly produced scFv and undertook binding studies by western blotting, dot blotting or surface plasmon resonance of those produced in good yields. Our results indicate that both the CDRs and the framework contribute to the disulfide-dependence of soluble production of scFv, with the CDRs having the largest effect. In addition, there was no correlation between thermal stability and disulfide-dependence of folding and only a weak correlation between the yield of protein and the thermal stability of the protein.

Role of the superior colliculus in choosing mixed-strategy saccades.

PubMed

Thevarajah, Dhushan; Mikulić, Areh; Dorris, Michael C

2009-02-18

Game theory outlines optimal response strategies during mixed-strategy competitions. The neural processes involved in choosing individual strategic actions, however, remain poorly understood. Here, we tested whether the superior colliculus (SC), a brain region critical for generating sensory-guided saccades, is also involved in choosing saccades under strategic conditions. Monkeys were free to choose either of two saccade targets as they competed against a computer opponent during the mixed-strategy game "matching pennies." The accuracy with which presaccadic SC activity predicted upcoming choice gradually increased in the time leading up to the saccade. Probing the SC with suprathreshold stimulation demonstrated that these evolving signals were functionally involved in preparing strategic saccades. Finally, subthreshold stimulation of the SC increased the likelihood that contralateral saccades were selected. Together, our results suggest that motor regions of the brain play an active role in choosing strategic actions rather than passively executing those prespecified by upstream executive regions.

Interaction of S17 Antibody with the Functional Binding Region of the Hepatitis B Virus Pre-S2 Epitope.

PubMed

Chang, Chang-Yu; Chang, Fu-Ling; Chiang, Chen-Wei; Lo, Yan-Ni; Lin, Tsai-Yu; Chen, Wang-Chuan; Tsai, Keng-Chang; Lee, Yu-Ching

2018-05-30

To understand the mechanism for inhibition of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is important. In this study, single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibodies were generated and directed to the pre-S2 epitope of HBV surface antigen (HBsAg). These human scFvs were isolated from a person with history of HBV infection by phage display technology. An evaluation of panning efficiency revealed that the eluted phage titer was increased, indicating that specific clones were enriched after panning. Selected scFvs were characterized with the recombinant HBsAg through Western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to confirm the binding ability. Flow cytometry analysis and immunocytochemical staining revealed that one scFv, S17, could recognize endogenous HBsAg expressed on the HepG2215 cell membrane. Moreover, the binding affinity of scFv S17 to the pre-S2 epitope was determined to be 4.2 × 10 -8 M. Two ion interactions were observed as the major driving forces for scFv S17 interacting with pre-S2 by performing a rational molecular docking analysis. This study provides insights into the structural basis to understand the interactions between an antibody and the pre-S2 epitope. The functional scFv format can potentially be used in future immunotherapeutic applications.

Microstructure and Strengthening Mechanisms in an Ultrafine Grained Al-Mg-Sc Alloy Produced by Powder Metallurgy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tammy J. Harrell; Troy D. Topping; Haiming Wen

2014-12-01

Additions of Sc to an Al-Mg matrix were investigated, paying particular attention to the influence of Al3Sc precipitates and other dispersoids, as well as grain size, on mechanical behavior. Prior studies have shown that Sc significantly increases the strength of coarse-grained Al-Mg alloys. Prompted by these findings, we hypothesized that it would be of fundamental and technological interest to study the behavior of Sc additions to an ultrafine-grained (UFG) microstructure (e.g., 100’s nm). Accordingly, we investigated the microstructural evolution and mechanical behavior of a cryomilled ultrafine grained Al-5Mg-0.4Sc (wt pct) and compared the results to those of an equivalent fine-grainedmore » material (FG) produced by powder metallurgy. Experimental materials were consolidated by hot isostatic pressing (HIP’ing) followed by extrusion or dual mode dynamic forging. Under identical processing conditions, UFG materials generate large Al3Sc precipitates with an average diameter of 154 nm and spaced approximately 1 to 3 µm apart, while precipitates in the FG materials have a diameter of 24 nm and are spaced 50 to 200 nm apart. The strengthening mechanisms are calculated for all materials and it is determined that the greatest strengthening contributions for the UFG and FG materials are Mg-O/N dispersion strengthening and precipitate strengthening, respectively.« less

Developmental constraints and convergent evolution in Drosophila sex comb formation.

PubMed

Atallah, Joel; Liu, Nana Hou; Dennis, Peter; Hon, Andy; Larsen, Ellen W

2009-01-01

The most complex and diverse secondary sexual character in Drosophila is the sex comb (SC), an arrangement of modified bristles on the forelegs of a subclade of male fruit flies. We examined SC formation in six representative nonmodel fruit fly species, in an effort to understand how the variation in comb patterning arises. We first compared SC development in two species with relatively small combs, Drosophila takahashii, where the SCs remain approximately transverse, and Drosophila biarmipes, where two rows of SC teeth rotate and move in an anterior direction relative to other bristle landmarks. We then analyzed comb ontogeny in species with prominent extended SCs parallel to the proximodistal axis, including Drosophila ficusphila and species of the montium subgroup. Our study allowed us to identify two general methods of generating longitudinal combs on the tarsus, and we showed that a montium subgroup species (Drosophila nikananu) with a comb convergently similar in size, orientation and position to the model organism Drosophila melanogaster, forms its SC through a different developmental mechanism. We also found that the protein product of the leg patterning gene, dachshund (dac), is strongly reduced in the SC in all species, but not in other bristles. Our results suggest that an apparent constraint on SC position in the adult may be attributable to at least two different lineage-specific developmental processes, although external forces could also play a role.

Successful construction and stable expression of an anti-CD45RA scFv-EGFP fusion protein in Chinese hamster ovary cells.

PubMed

Wang, Zhujun; Chen, Yuanyuan; Li, Sisi; Cheng, Yuping; Zhao, Haizhao; Jia, Ming; Luo, Zebin; Tang, Yongmin

2014-02-01

CD45RA has been found highly expressed on leukemia cells and may be a potential target of the disease. In this study, an anti-CD45RA single-chain antibody fragment (scFv3A4) was genetically linked to the N terminus of the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) to generate a scFv3A4-EGFP fusion protein. The scFv3A4-EGFP with a molecular weight of 57kDa was stably expressed and secreted from the transfected CHO cells through the ER/Golgi-dependent pathway. The fusion protein was soluble in the culture supernatant and the yield was 1350μg/L. Flow cytometry analysis showed that the scFv3A4-EGFP had the same binding site and a very similar reactivity pattern with its parental murine monoclonal antibody (mAb) 3A4. Furthermore, comparing to conventional labeled 3A4-FITC antibody, the scFv3A4-EGFP was more resistant to illumination and more suitable for immunofluorescence histology (IFH) detection. Therefore, the scFv3A4-EGFP fusion protein can be a powerful tool to investigate the targeting of CD45RA on leukemia cells, biological activity of the target and possibly for the genetic manipulation of the antibody. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Treatment Optimization Using Computed Tomography-Delineated Targets Should be Used for Supraclavicular Irradiation for Breast Cancer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liengsawangwong, Raweewan; Yu, T.-K.; Sun, T.-L.

2007-11-01

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the use of optimized CT treatment planning offered better coverage of axillary level III (LIII)/supraclavicular (SC) targets than the empirically derived dose prescription that are commonly used. Materials/Methods: Thirty-two consecutive breast cancer patients who underwent CT treatment planning of a SC field were evaluated. Each patient was categorized according to body mass index (BMI) classes: normal, overweight, or obese. The SC and LIII nodal beds were contoured, and four treatment plans for each patient were generated. Three of the plans used empiric dose prescriptions, and these were compared with amore » CT-optimized plan. Each plan was evaluated by two criteria: whether 98% of target volume receive >90% of prescribed dose and whether < 5% of the irradiated volume received 105% of prescribed dose. Results: The mean depth of SC and LIII were 3.2 cm (range, 1.4-6.7 cm) and 3.1 (range, 1.7-5.8 cm). The depth of these targets varied according across BMI classes (p = 0.01). Among the four sets of plans, the CT-optimized plans were the most successful at achieving both of the dosimetry objectives for every BMI class (normal BMI, p = .003; overweight BMI, p < .0001; obese BMI, p < .001). Conclusions: Across all BMI classes, routine radiation prescriptions did not optimally cover intended targets for every patient. Optimized CT-based treatment planning generated the most successful plans; therefore, we recommend the use of routine CT simulation and treatment planning of SC fields in breast cancer.« less

A single-chain variable fragment intrabody prevents intracellular polymerization of Z α1-antitrypsin while allowing its antiproteinase activity.

PubMed

Ordóñez, Adriana; Pérez, Juan; Tan, Lu; Dickens, Jennifer A; Motamedi-Shad, Neda; Irving, James A; Haq, Imran; Ekeowa, Ugo; Marciniak, Stefan J; Miranda, Elena; Lomas, David A

2015-06-01

Mutant Z α1-antitrypsin (E342K) accumulates as polymers within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of hepatocytes predisposing to liver disease, whereas low levels of circulating Z α1-antitrypsin lead to emphysema by loss of inhibition of neutrophil elastase. The ideal therapy should prevent polymer formation while preserving inhibitory activity. Here we used mAb technology to identify interactors with Z α1-antitrypsin that comply with both requirements. We report the generation of an mAb (4B12) that blocked α1-antitrypsin polymerization in vitro at a 1:1 molar ratio, causing a small increase of the stoichiometry of inhibition for neutrophil elastase. A single-chain variable fragment (scFv) intrabody was generated based on the sequence of mAb4B12. The expression of scFv4B12 within the ER (scFv4B12KDEL) and along the secretory pathway (scFv4B12) reduced the intracellular polymerization of Z α1-antitrypsin by 60%. The scFv4B12 intrabody also increased the secretion of Z α1-antitrypsin that retained inhibitory activity against neutrophil elastase. MAb4B12 recognized a discontinuous epitope probably located in the region of helices A/C/G/H/I and seems to act by altering protein dynamics rather than binding preferentially to the native state. This novel approach could reveal new target sites for small-molecule intervention that may block the transition to aberrant polymers without compromising the inhibitory activity of Z α1-antitrypsin. © FASEB.

Evolutionary Diversification of Alanine Transaminases in Yeast: Catabolic Specialization and Biosynthetic Redundancy.

PubMed

Escalera-Fanjul, Ximena; Campero-Basaldua, Carlos; Colón, Maritrini; González, James; Márquez, Dariel; González, Alicia

2017-01-01

Gene duplication is one of the major evolutionary mechanisms providing raw material for the generation of genes with new or modified functions. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae originated after an allopolyploidization event, which involved mating between two different ancestral yeast species. ScALT1 and ScALT2 codify proteins with 65% identity, which were proposed to be paralogous alanine transaminases. Further analysis of their physiological role showed that while ScALT1 encodes an alanine transaminase which constitutes the main pathway for alanine biosynthesis and the sole pathway for alanine catabolism, Sc Alt2 does not display alanine transaminase activity and is not involved in alanine metabolism. Moreover, phylogenetic studies have suggested that ScALT1 and ScALT2 come from each one of the two parental strains which gave rise to the ancestral hybrid. The present work has been aimed to the understanding of the properties of the ancestral type Lacchancea kluyveri LkALT1 and Kluyveromyces lactis KlALT1 , alanine transaminases in order to better understand the ScALT1 and ScALT2 evolutionary history. These ancestral -type species were chosen since they harbor ALT1 genes, which are related to ScALT2. Presented results show that, although LkALT1 and KlALT1 constitute ScALT1 orthologous genes, encoding alanine transaminases, both yeasts display Lk Alt1 and Kl Alt1 independent alanine transaminase activity and additional unidentified alanine biosynthetic and catabolic pathway(s). Furthermore, phenotypic analysis of null mutants uncovered the fact that Kl Alt1 and Lk Alt1 have an additional role, not related to alanine metabolism but is necessary to achieve wild type growth rate. Our study shows that the ancestral alanine transaminase function has been retained by the ScALT1 encoded enzyme, which has specialized its catabolic character, while losing the alanine independent role observed in the ancestral type enzymes. The fact that Sc Alt2 conserves 64% identity with Lk Alt1 and 66% with Kl Alt1, suggests that Sc Alt2 diversified after the ancestral hybrid was formed. ScALT2 functional diversification resulted in loss of both alanine transaminase activity and the additional alanine-independent Lk Alt1 function, since ScALT2 did not complement the Lkalt1Δ phenotype. It can be concluded that LkALT1 and KlLALT1 functional role as alanine transaminases was delegated to ScALT1 , while ScALT2 lost this role during diversification.

Evolutionary Diversification of Alanine Transaminases in Yeast: Catabolic Specialization and Biosynthetic Redundancy

PubMed Central

Escalera-Fanjul, Ximena; Campero-Basaldua, Carlos; Colón, Maritrini; González, James; Márquez, Dariel; González, Alicia

2017-01-01

Gene duplication is one of the major evolutionary mechanisms providing raw material for the generation of genes with new or modified functions. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae originated after an allopolyploidization event, which involved mating between two different ancestral yeast species. ScALT1 and ScALT2 codify proteins with 65% identity, which were proposed to be paralogous alanine transaminases. Further analysis of their physiological role showed that while ScALT1 encodes an alanine transaminase which constitutes the main pathway for alanine biosynthesis and the sole pathway for alanine catabolism, ScAlt2 does not display alanine transaminase activity and is not involved in alanine metabolism. Moreover, phylogenetic studies have suggested that ScALT1 and ScALT2 come from each one of the two parental strains which gave rise to the ancestral hybrid. The present work has been aimed to the understanding of the properties of the ancestral type Lacchancea kluyveri LkALT1 and Kluyveromyces lactis KlALT1, alanine transaminases in order to better understand the ScALT1 and ScALT2 evolutionary history. These ancestral -type species were chosen since they harbor ALT1 genes, which are related to ScALT2. Presented results show that, although LkALT1 and KlALT1 constitute ScALT1 orthologous genes, encoding alanine transaminases, both yeasts display LkAlt1 and KlAlt1 independent alanine transaminase activity and additional unidentified alanine biosynthetic and catabolic pathway(s). Furthermore, phenotypic analysis of null mutants uncovered the fact that KlAlt1 and LkAlt1 have an additional role, not related to alanine metabolism but is necessary to achieve wild type growth rate. Our study shows that the ancestral alanine transaminase function has been retained by the ScALT1 encoded enzyme, which has specialized its catabolic character, while losing the alanine independent role observed in the ancestral type enzymes. The fact that ScAlt2 conserves 64% identity with LkAlt1 and 66% with KlAlt1, suggests that ScAlt2 diversified after the ancestral hybrid was formed. ScALT2 functional diversification resulted in loss of both alanine transaminase activity and the additional alanine-independent LkAlt1 function, since ScALT2 did not complement the Lkalt1Δ phenotype. It can be concluded that LkALT1 and KlLALT1 functional role as alanine transaminases was delegated to ScALT1, while ScALT2 lost this role during diversification. PMID:28694796

Generation of human scFv antibody libraries: PCR amplification and assembly of light- and heavy-chain coding sequences.

PubMed

Andris-Widhopf, Jennifer; Steinberger, Peter; Fuller, Roberta; Rader, Christoph; Barbas, Carlos F

2011-09-01

The development of therapeutic antibodies for use in the treatment of human diseases has long been a goal for many researchers in the antibody field. One way to obtain these antibodies is through phage-display libraries constructed from human lymphocytes. This protocol describes the construction of human scFv (single chain antibody fragment) libraries using a short linker (GGSSRSS) or a long linker (GGSSRSSSSGGGGSGGGG). In this method, the individual rearranged heavy- and light-chain variable regions are amplified separately and are linked through a series of overlap polymerase chain reaction (PCR) steps to give the final scFv products that are used for cloning.

Signaling Networks among Stem Cell Precursors, Transit-Amplifying Progenitors, and their Niche in Developing Hair Follicles.

PubMed

Rezza, Amélie; Wang, Zichen; Sennett, Rachel; Qiao, Wenlian; Wang, Dongmei; Heitman, Nicholas; Mok, Ka Wai; Clavel, Carlos; Yi, Rui; Zandstra, Peter; Ma'ayan, Avi; Rendl, Michael

2016-03-29

The hair follicle (HF) is a complex miniorgan that serves as an ideal model system to study stem cell (SC) interactions with the niche during growth and regeneration. Dermal papilla (DP) cells are required for SC activation during the adult hair cycle, but signal exchange between niche and SC precursors/transit-amplifying cell (TAC) progenitors that regulates HF morphogenetic growth is largely unknown. Here we use six transgenic reporters to isolate 14 major skin and HF cell populations. With next-generation RNA sequencing, we characterize their transcriptomes and define unique molecular signatures. SC precursors, TACs, and the DP niche express a plethora of ligands and receptors. Signaling interaction network analysis reveals a bird's-eye view of pathways implicated in epithelial-mesenchymal interactions. Using a systematic tissue-wide approach, this work provides a comprehensive platform, linked to an interactive online database, to identify and further explore the SC/TAC/niche crosstalk regulating HF growth. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparative Analysis of Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Methods.

PubMed

Ziegenhain, Christoph; Vieth, Beate; Parekh, Swati; Reinius, Björn; Guillaumet-Adkins, Amy; Smets, Martha; Leonhardt, Heinrich; Heyn, Holger; Hellmann, Ines; Enard, Wolfgang

2017-02-16

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) offers new possibilities to address biological and medical questions. However, systematic comparisons of the performance of diverse scRNA-seq protocols are lacking. We generated data from 583 mouse embryonic stem cells to evaluate six prominent scRNA-seq methods: CEL-seq2, Drop-seq, MARS-seq, SCRB-seq, Smart-seq, and Smart-seq2. While Smart-seq2 detected the most genes per cell and across cells, CEL-seq2, Drop-seq, MARS-seq, and SCRB-seq quantified mRNA levels with less amplification noise due to the use of unique molecular identifiers (UMIs). Power simulations at different sequencing depths showed that Drop-seq is more cost-efficient for transcriptome quantification of large numbers of cells, while MARS-seq, SCRB-seq, and Smart-seq2 are more efficient when analyzing fewer cells. Our quantitative comparison offers the basis for an informed choice among six prominent scRNA-seq methods, and it provides a framework for benchmarking further improvements of scRNA-seq protocols. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An ex vivo human skin model for studying skin barrier repair.

PubMed

Danso, Mogbekeloluwa O; Berkers, Tineke; Mieremet, Arnout; Hausil, Farzia; Bouwstra, Joke A

2015-01-01

In the studies described in this study, we introduce a novel ex vivo human skin barrier repair model. To develop this, we removed the upper layer of the skin, the stratum corneum (SC) by a reproducible cyanoacrylate stripping technique. After stripping the explants, they were cultured in vitro to allow the regeneration of the SC. We selected two culture temperatures 32 °C and 37 °C and a period of either 4 or 8 days. After 8 days of culture, the explant generated SC at a similar thickness compared to native human SC. At 37 °C, the early and late epidermal differentiation programmes were executed comparably to native human skin with the exception of the barrier protein involucrin. At 32 °C, early differentiation was delayed, but the terminal differentiation proteins were expressed as in stripped explants cultured at 37 °C. Regarding the barrier properties, the SC lateral lipid organization was mainly hexagonal in the regenerated SC, whereas the lipids in native human SC adopt a more dense orthorhombic organization. In addition, the ceramide levels were higher in the cultured explants at 32 °C and 37 °C than in native human SC. In conclusion, we selected the stripped ex vivo skin model cultured at 37 °C as a candidate model to study skin barrier repair because epidermal and SC characteristics mimic more closely the native human skin than the ex vivo skin model cultured at 32 °C. Potentially, this model can be used for testing formulations for skin barrier repair. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Development of Multifunctional Active Film and Its Application in Modified Atmosphere Packaging of Shiitake Mushrooms.

PubMed

Wang, Hong Jiang; An, Duck Soon; Lee, Dong Sun

2016-09-01

Agar-based films with multiple functions (CO 2 absorption, water vapor absorption, and antimicrobial activity) were developed, tested for their properties, and then applied to the packaging of fresh shiitake mushrooms as an insert label. The films were cast from an agar-based aqueous solution containing a dissolving plasticizer (glycerol), a CO 2 absorbent (sodium carbonate [SC] alone or a combination of SC and sodium glycinate [SC-SG]), and a volatile antimicrobial agent (carvacrol [CRV]). The agar of the film matrix is designed to serve as a water vapor absorbent. The multifunctional films tended to have poor mechanical properties, with a hard texture and an opaque and yellowish color. The CO 2 absorbent, either SC alone or SC-SG, affected CRV retention and release along with the CO 2 and water vapor absorption behavior. Both films (SC-CRV and SC-SG-CRV films) showed good inhibitory effects against Pseudomonas fluorescens and Saccharomyces cerevisiae . SC-CRV film had a higher and faster CO 2 absorption property, higher retention and extended release of CRV, and lower and slower water vapor absorption and was assessed to be better suited for use in shiitake mushroom packaging. The packaging in which the SC-CRV film with an appropriate amount of CRV was used as an insert label was able to generate the desired atmosphere and less moisture condensation inside the package, producing the best preservation of quality in terms of mushroom color, firmness, flavor score, and microbial counts after 6 days of storage at 10°C. A tailored modified atmosphere packaging system using multifunctional film would be useful in the preservation of CO 2 -sensitive fresh commodities.

Docking and free energy simulations to predict conformational domains involved in hCG-LH receptor interactions using recombinant antibodies.

PubMed

Majumdar, Ritankar; Railkar, Reema; Dighe, Rajan R

2011-11-01

Single chain fragment variables (ScFvs) have been extensively employed in studying the protein-protein interactions. ScFvs derived from phage display libraries have an additional advantage of being generated against a native antigen, circumventing loss of information on conformational epitopes. In the present study, an attempt has been made to elucidate human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)-luteinizing hormone (LH) receptor interactions by using a neutral and two inhibitory ScFvs against hCG. The objective was to dock a computationally derived model of these ScFvs onto the crystal structure of hCG and understand the differential roles of the mapped epitopes in hCG-LH receptor interactions. An anti-hCG ScFv, whose epitope was mapped previously using biochemical tools, served as the positive control for assessing the quality of docking analysis. To evaluate the role of specific side chains at the hCG-ScFv interface, binding free energy as well as residue interaction energies of complexes in solution were calculated using molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann/surface area method after performing the molecular dynamic simulations on the selected hCG-ScFv models and validated using biochemical and SPR analysis. The robustness of these calculations was demonstrated by comparing the theoretically determined binding energies with the experimentally obtained kinetic parameters for hCG-ScFv complexes. Superimposition of hCG-ScFv model onto a model of hCG complexed with the 51-266 residues of LH receptor revealed importance of the residues previously thought to be unimportant for hormone binding and response. This analysis provides an alternate tool for understanding the structure-function analysis of ligand-receptor interactions. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Generation of a mouse scFv library specific for porcine aminopeptidase N using the T7 phage display system.

PubMed

Sun, Dongbo; Shi, Hongyan; Chen, Jianfei; Shi, Da; Zhu, Qinghe; Zhang, Hong; Liu, Shengwang; Wang, Yunfeng; Qiu, Huaji; Feng, Li

2012-06-01

Porcine aminopeptidase N (pAPN) is a common cellular receptor for swine transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) and porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV). To investigate single-chain fragment variable (scFv) repertoire against pAPN, the genes encoding the immunoglobulin light chain variable region (VL) and heavy chain variable region (VH) were amplified by reverse transcript polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using a series of degenerate primers from the spleen of BABL/c mice immunized with native pAPN. The VL and VH amplicons were combined randomly by a 12 amino acid flexible linker by splicing by overlap extension PCR (SOE-PCR), which produced the scFv gene repertoire. After ligation of the scFv gene repertoire into the T7Select10-3b vector, a mouse scFv phage library specific for pAPN was produced through in vitro packaging. The primary scFv library against pAPN contained 2.0×10(7) recombinant phage clones, and the titer of the amplified library was 3.6×10(9)pfu/mL. BstNI restriction analysis and DNA sequencing revealed that 28 phage clones from the primary pAPN scFv library showed excellent diversity. The effectiveness of the scFv library against pAPN was verified further by phage ELISA using the recombinant protein of the pAPN C subunit as coating antigen. The construction and evaluation of a murine scFv library against the common receptor pAPN of porcine coronaviruses TGEV and PEDV using the T7 phage display system are described. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Topography Estimation of the Core Mantle Boundary with ScS Reverberations and Diffraction Waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hein, B. E.; Nakata, N.

2017-12-01

In this study, we use the propagation of global seismic waves to study the Core Mantle Boundary (CMB). We focus on the use of S-wave reflections at the CMB (ScS reverberations) and outer-core diffracted waves. It is difficult imaging the CMB with the ScS wave because the complexity of the structure in the near surface ( 50 km); the complex structure degrades the signal-to-noise ratio of of the ScS. To avoid estimating the structure in the crust, we rely on the concept of seismic interferometry to extract wave propagation through mantle, but not through the crust. Our approach is compute the deconvolution between the ScS (and its reverberation) and direct S waves generated by intermediate to deep earthquakes (>50 km depth). Through this deconvolution, we have the ability to filter out the direct S wave and retrieve the wave field propagating from only the hypocenter to the outer core, but not between the hypocenter to the receiver. After the deconvolution, we can isolate the CMB reflected waves from the complicated wave phenomena because of the near-surface structure. Utilizing intermediate and deep earthquakes is key since we can suppress the near-surface effect from the surface to the hypocenter of the earthquakes. The variation of such waves (e.g., travel-time perturbation and/or wavefield decorrelation) at different receivers and earthquakes provides the information of the topography of the CMB. In order to get a more detailed image of the topography of the CMB we use diffracted seismic waves such as Pdiff , Sdiff, and P'P'. By using two intermediate to deep earthquakes on a great circle path with a station we can extract the wave propagation between the two earthquakes to simplify the waveform, similar to how it is preformed using the ScS wave. We generate more illumination of the CMB by using diffracted waves rather than only using ScS reverberations. The accurate topography of CMB obtained by these deconvolution analyses may provide new insight of the dynamics of the Earth such as heat flow at the CMB and through the mantle.

New Generation of Superconducting Solenoids for Heavy-Ion Linac Application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ostroumov, P. N.; Kim, S. H.; Lessner, E. S.; Shepard, K. W.; Laxdal, R. E.

2002-01-01

The beam dynamics of superconducting (SC) heavy-ion linacs operating in the velocity range below 0.4c require a compact accelerating-focusing lattice. The use of SC solenoids together with SC RF resonators within a common cryostat can solve the real-estate problem. The solenoids must have low fringe fields to avoid magnetic-flux capture in the SC RF resonators. Also, incorporating dipole steering coils together with the SC solenoids in one magnet assembly can increase the compactness of the linac lattice. R&D work has been carried out to determine the feasibility of combining the three elements of high solenoid field, low fringe field, and integral dipole field, into one compact package. A 9-Tesla magnet has been initially designed and will be prototyped, with the goal of eventually developing 14-Tesla solenoids of similar design. The most important design issues are: (1) to minimize stray field in the RF cavity region using SC bucking coils and (2) to achieve adequate mechanical stability of the transverse dipole windings in the presence of forces produced by the solenoid/bucking coil assembly. The assembly, including terminals, switches, and protection circuit, are designed to fit inside a 25-cm diameter helium reservoir. The results of the preliminary design of the solenoid, including numerical simulations of the beam dynamics, are reported.

Suppressed prostate epithelial development with impaired branching morphogenesis in mice lacking stromal fibromuscular androgen receptor.

PubMed

Lai, Kuo-Pao; Yamashita, Shinichi; Vitkus, Spencer; Shyr, Chih-Rong; Yeh, Shuyuan; Chang, Chawnshang

2012-01-01

Using the cre-loxP system, we generated a new mouse model [double stromal androgen receptor knockout (dARKO)] with selectively deleted androgen receptor (AR) in both stromal fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells, and found the size of the anterior prostate (AP) lobes was significantly reduced as compared with those from wild-type littermate controls. The reduction in prostate size of the dARKO mouse was accompanied by impaired branching morphogenesis and partial loss of the infolding glandular structure. Further dissection found decreased proliferation and increased apoptosis of the prostate epithelium in the dARKO mouse AP. These phenotype changes were further confirmed with newly established immortalized prostate stromal cells (PrSC) from wild-type and dARKO mice. Mechanistically, IGF-1, placental growth factor, and secreted phosphoprotein-1 controlled by stromal AR were differentially expressed in PrSC-wt and PrSC-ARKO. Moreover, the conditioned media (CM) from PrSC-wt promoted prostate epithelium growth significantly as compared with CM from PrSC-dARKO. Finally, adding IGF-1/placental growth factor recombinant proteins into PrSC-dARKO CM was able to partially rescue epithelium growth. Together, our data concluded that stromal fibromuscular AR could modulate epithelium growth and maintain cellular homeostasis through identified growth factors.

The synaptic pharmacology underlying sensory processing in the superior colliculus.

PubMed

Binns, K E

1999-10-01

The superior colliculus (SC) is one of the most ancient regions of the vertebrate central sensory system. In this hub afferents from several sensory pathways converge, and an extensive range of neural circuits enable primary sensory processing, multi-sensory integration and the generation of motor commands for orientation behaviours. The SC has a laminar structure and is usually considered in two parts; the superficial visual layers and the deep multi-modal/motor layers. Neurones in the superficial layers integrate visual information from the retina, cortex and other sources, while the deep layers draw together data from many cortical and sub-cortical sensory areas, including the superficial layers, to generate motor commands. Functional studies in anaesthetized subjects and in slice preparations have used pharmacological tools to probe some of the SC's interacting circuits. The studies reviewed here reveal important roles for ionotropic glutamate receptors in the mediation of sensory inputs to the SC and in transmission between the superficial and deep layers. N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors appear to have special responsibility for the temporal matching of retinal and cortical activity in the superficial layers and for the integration of multiple sensory data-streams in the deep layers. Sensory responses are shaped by intrinsic inhibitory mechanisms mediated by GABA(A) and GABA(B) receptors and influenced by nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. These sensory and motor-command activities of SC neurones are modulated by levels of arousal through extrinsic connections containing GABA, serotonin and other transmitters. It is possible to naturally stimulate many of the SC's sensory and non-sensory inputs either independently or simultaneously and this brain area is an ideal location in which to study: (a) interactions between inputs from the same sensory system; (b) the integration of inputs from several sensory systems; and (c) the influence of non-sensory systems on sensory processing.

Mid-infrared laser filaments in the atmosphere

PubMed Central

Mitrofanov, A. V.; Voronin, A. A.; Sidorov-Biryukov, D. A.; Pugžlys, A.; Stepanov, E. A.; Andriukaitis, G.; Flöry, T.; Ališauskas, S.; Fedotov, A. B.; Baltuška, A.; Zheltikov, A. M.

2015-01-01

Filamentation of ultrashort laser pulses in the atmosphere offers unique opportunities for long-range transmission of high-power laser radiation and standoff detection. With the critical power of self-focusing scaling as the laser wavelength squared, the quest for longer-wavelength drivers, which would radically increase the peak power and, hence, the laser energy in a single filament, has been ongoing over two decades, during which time the available laser sources limited filamentation experiments in the atmosphere to the near-infrared and visible ranges. Here, we demonstrate filamentation of ultrashort mid-infrared pulses in the atmosphere for the first time. We show that, with the spectrum of a femtosecond laser driver centered at 3.9 μm, right at the edge of the atmospheric transmission window, radiation energies above 20 mJ and peak powers in excess of 200 GW can be transmitted through the atmosphere in a single filament. Our studies reveal unique properties of mid-infrared filaments, where the generation of powerful mid-infrared supercontinuum is accompanied by unusual scenarios of optical harmonic generation, giving rise to remarkably broad radiation spectra, stretching from the visible to the mid-infrared. PMID:25687621

Optimization of a Fabry-Perot Q-switch fiber optic laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armas Rivera, Ivan; Beltrán Pérez, Georgina; Kuzin, Evgene; Castillo Mixcóatl, Juan; Muñoz Aguirre, Severino

2013-11-01

Optical fiber Q-Switch lasers have been used in a variety of application areas in science as well as in industry owing to their multiple characteristics. A possible application is that owing to their high output power they can be used as pumping sources for supercontinuum generation. Such source can be employed in optical coherence tomography (OCT) focused to dermatology. Therefore it is important to develop sources with emission wavelength that are not injurious to human skin. In the present work erbium doped fiber (EDF) was used owing that its emission wavelength (1550 nm) is adequate for this purpose. The most efficient way of achieving high power in a Q-Switch laser is optimizing all the parameters involved in the pulses generation, such as pumping power, active medium length and modulation frequency. The results show that using a fiber length of 7 meters is possible to get 10 μJ of energy, a peak power of 140 W, an average power of 27.5mW with temporal widths of 500 ns. The laser uses an acousto-optic device to modulate the internal loses inside the cavity. As highly reflecting mirrors, a Sagnac Interferometer and a Fiber Bragg Grating was employed.

Broadband ultrafast transient absorption of multiple exciton dynamics in lead sulfide nanocrystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gesuele, Felice; Wong, Chee Wei; Sfeir, Matthew; Misewich, James; Koh, Weonkyu; Murray, Christopher

2011-03-01

Multiple exciton generation (MEG) is under intense investigation as potential third-generation solar photovoltaics with efficiencies beyond the Shockley-Queisser limit. We examine PbS nanocrystals, dispersed and vigorously stirred in TCE solution, by means of supercontinuum femtosecond transient absorption (TA). TA spectra show the presence of first and second order bleaches for the 1Sh-Se and 1Ph-Pe excitonic transition while photoinduced absorption for the 1Sh,e-Ph,e transitions. We found evidence of carrier multiplication (MEG for single absorbed photon) from the analysis of the first and second order bleaches, in the limit of low number of absorbed photons (Nabs ~ 0.01), for energy three times and four times the Energy gap. The MEG efficiency, derived from the ratio between early-time to long-time TA signal, presents a strongly dispersive behavior with maximum red shifted respect the first absorption peak. Analysis of population dynamics shows that in presence of biexciton, the 1Sh-Se bleach peak is red-shifted indicating a positive binding energy. MEG efficiency estimation will be discussed with regards to spectral integration, correlated higher-order and first excitonic transitions, as well as the nanocrystal morphologies.

Single attosecond pulse generation by using plasmon-driven double optical gating technology in crossed metal nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Liqiang; Liu, Katheryn

2018-05-01

An effective method to obtain the single attosecond pulses (SAPs) by using the multi-cycle plasmon-driven double optical gating (DOG) technology in the specifically designed metal nanostructures has been proposed and investigated. It is found that with the introduction of the crossed metal nanostructures along the driven and the gating polarization directions, not only the harmonic cutoff can be extended, but also the efficient high-order harmonic generation (HHG) at the very highest orders occurs only at one side of the region inside the nanostructure. As a result, a 93 eV supercontinuum with the near stable phase can be found. Further, by properly introducing an ultraviolet (UV) pulse into the driven laser polarization direction (which is defined as the DOG), the harmonic yield can be enhanced by two orders of magnitude in comparison with the singe polarization gating (PG) technology. However, as the polarized angle or the ellipticity of the UV pulse increase, the enhancement of the harmonic yield is slightly reduced. Finally, by superposing the selected harmonics from the DOG scheme, a 30 as SAP with intensity enhancement of two orders of magnitude can be obtained.

Rotary Transformer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McLyman, Colonel Wm. T.

1996-01-01

None given. From first Par: Many spacecraft (S/C) and surface rovers require the transfer of signals and power across rotating interfaces. Science instruments, antennas and solar arrays are elements needing rotary power transfer for certain (S/C) configurations. Delivery of signal and power has mainly been done by using the simplest means, the slip ring approach. This approach, although simple, leaves debris generating noise over a period of time...The rotary transformer is a good alternative to slip rings for signal and power transfer.

Generation and characterization of protective antibodies to Marburg virus.

PubMed

Froude, Jeffrey W; Pelat, Thibaut; Miethe, Sebastian; Zak, Samantha E; Wec, Anna Z; Chandran, Kartik; Brannan, Jennifer Mary; Bakken, Russell R; Hust, Michael; Thullier, Philippe; Dye, John M

Marburg virus (MARV) and Ebola virus (EBOV) have been a source of epidemics and outbreaks for several decades. We present here the generation and characterization of the first protective antibodies specific for wild-type MARV. Non-human primates (NHP), cynomolgus macaques, were immunized with viral-replicon particles expressing the glycoproteins (GP) of MARV (Ci67 isolate). An antibody fragment (single-chain variable fragment, scFv) phage display library was built after four immunogen injections, and screened against the GP 1-649 of MARV. Sequencing of 192 selected clones identified 18 clones with distinct V H and V L sequences. Four of these recombinant antibodies (R4A1, R4B11, R4G2, and R3F6) were produced in the scFv-Fc format for in vivo studies. Mice that were challenged with wild-type Marburg virus (Ci67 isolate) receiving 100 µg of scFv-Fc on days -1, 1 and 3 demonstrated protective efficacies ranging from 75-100%. The amino-acid sequences of the scFv-Fcs are similar to those of their human germline counterparts, sharing an identity ranging between 68 and 100% to human germline immunoglobulin. These results demonstrate for the first time that recombinant antibodies offer protection against wild-type MARV, and suggest they may be promising candidates for further therapeutic development especially due to their human homology.

Genome-wide mapping of DNase I hypersensitive sites in rare cell populations using single-cell DNase sequencing.

PubMed

Cooper, James; Ding, Yi; Song, Jiuzhou; Zhao, Keji

2017-11-01

Increased chromatin accessibility is a feature of cell-type-specific cis-regulatory elements; therefore, mapping of DNase I hypersensitive sites (DHSs) enables the detection of active regulatory elements of transcription, including promoters, enhancers, insulators and locus-control regions. Single-cell DNase sequencing (scDNase-seq) is a method of detecting genome-wide DHSs when starting with either single cells or <1,000 cells from primary cell sources. This technique enables genome-wide mapping of hypersensitive sites in a wide range of cell populations that cannot be analyzed using conventional DNase I sequencing because of the requirement for millions of starting cells. Fresh cells, formaldehyde-cross-linked cells or cells recovered from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue slides are suitable for scDNase-seq assays. To generate scDNase-seq libraries, cells are lysed and then digested with DNase I. Circular carrier plasmid DNA is included during subsequent DNA purification and library preparation steps to prevent loss of the small quantity of DHS DNA. Libraries are generated for high-throughput sequencing on the Illumina platform using standard methods. Preparation of scDNase-seq libraries requires only 2 d. The materials and molecular biology techniques described in this protocol should be accessible to any general molecular biology laboratory. Processing of high-throughput sequencing data requires basic bioinformatics skills and uses publicly available bioinformatics software.

Generation of a rabbit single-chain fragment variable (scFv) antibody for specific detection of Bradyrhizobium sp. DOA9 in both free-living and bacteroid forms

PubMed Central

Srila, Witsanu; Yuttavanichakul, Watcharin; Teamtisong, Kamonluck; Teaumroong, Neung; Boonkerd, Nantakorn; Tittabutr, Panlada

2017-01-01

A simple and reliable method for the detection of specific nitrogen-fixing bacteria in both free-living and bacteroid forms is essential for the development and application of biofertilizer. Traditionally, a polyclonal antibody generated from an immunized rabbit was used for detection. However, the disadvantages of using a polyclonal antibody include limited supply and cross-reactivity to related bacterial strains. This is the first report on the application of phage display technology for the generation of a rabbit recombinant monoclonal antibody for specific detection and monitoring of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in both free-living form and in plant nodules. Bradyrhizobium sp. DOA9, a broad host range soil bacteria, originally isolated from the root nodules of Aeschynomene americana in Thailand was used as a model in this study. A recombinant single-chain fragment variable (scFv) antibody library was constructed from the spleen of a rabbit immunized with DOA9. After three rounds of biopanning, one specific phage-displayed scFv antibody, designated bDOA9rb8, was identified. Specific binding of this antibody was confirmed by phage enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (phage ELISA). The phage antibody could bind specifically to DOA9 in both free-living cells (pure culture) and bacteroids inside plant nodules. In addition to phage ELISA, specific and robust immunofluorescence staining of both free-living and bacteroid forms could also be observed by confocal-immunofluorescence imaging, without cross-reactivity with other tested bradyrhizobial strains. Moreover, specific binding of free scFv to DOA9 was also demonstrated by ELISA. This recombinant antibody can also be used for the study of the molecular mechanism of plant–microbe interactions in the future. PMID:28654662

Generation of a rabbit single-chain fragment variable (scFv) antibody for specific detection of Bradyrhizobium sp. DOA9 in both free-living and bacteroid forms.

PubMed

Vu, Nguyen Xuan; Pruksametanan, Natcha; Srila, Witsanu; Yuttavanichakul, Watcharin; Teamtisong, Kamonluck; Teaumroong, Neung; Boonkerd, Nantakorn; Tittabutr, Panlada; Yamabhai, Montarop

2017-01-01

A simple and reliable method for the detection of specific nitrogen-fixing bacteria in both free-living and bacteroid forms is essential for the development and application of biofertilizer. Traditionally, a polyclonal antibody generated from an immunized rabbit was used for detection. However, the disadvantages of using a polyclonal antibody include limited supply and cross-reactivity to related bacterial strains. This is the first report on the application of phage display technology for the generation of a rabbit recombinant monoclonal antibody for specific detection and monitoring of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in both free-living form and in plant nodules. Bradyrhizobium sp. DOA9, a broad host range soil bacteria, originally isolated from the root nodules of Aeschynomene americana in Thailand was used as a model in this study. A recombinant single-chain fragment variable (scFv) antibody library was constructed from the spleen of a rabbit immunized with DOA9. After three rounds of biopanning, one specific phage-displayed scFv antibody, designated bDOA9rb8, was identified. Specific binding of this antibody was confirmed by phage enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (phage ELISA). The phage antibody could bind specifically to DOA9 in both free-living cells (pure culture) and bacteroids inside plant nodules. In addition to phage ELISA, specific and robust immunofluorescence staining of both free-living and bacteroid forms could also be observed by confocal-immunofluorescence imaging, without cross-reactivity with other tested bradyrhizobial strains. Moreover, specific binding of free scFv to DOA9 was also demonstrated by ELISA. This recombinant antibody can also be used for the study of the molecular mechanism of plant-microbe interactions in the future.

23. AC GENERATOR, ALLISCHALMERS SN #1246797, MFG. MILWAUKEE, KW 1600 ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

23. AC GENERATOR, ALLIS-CHALMERS SN #1246797, MFG. MILWAUKEE, KW 1600 PF 80 C/O VOLTS 2300 AMPS 503 CY 60 PH 3 RMP 164 EXC VOLTS 125 AMPS MAN 300 - Columbia Canal & Power Plant, Waterfront of Broad River, Columbia, Richland County, SC

Nutraceutical properties of cumin residue generated from Ayurvedic industries using cell line models.

PubMed

Arun, K B; Aswathi, U; Venugopal, V V; Madhavankutty, T S; Nisha, P

2016-10-01

Spent cumin (SC), generated from Ayurvedic industry, was evaluated for its nutraceutical potential in terms of antioxidant, antidiabetic and anticancer properties, and compared with that of the raw cumin (RC). SC and RC seeds were extracted with ethyl acetate (E) and methanol (M). SCM (methanol extract) were rich in p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, ellagic acid and cinnamic acid (6.4445, 5.8286, 2.1519, 4.3085 mg/g dry extract). SCM reduced Fe 2+ ion (89.68 µM AA/g dry weight), scavenged DPPH radical (IC 50 -238.6 µg/mL), better α-amylase inhibition (IC 50 -337.22 µg/mL) and glucose uptake activity in 30.7% of L6 cells. SCM inhibited viability, retarded migration area up to 41.02%, arrested cell cycle at S phase and induced apoptosis in 2.45% of HT29 colon cancer cells. The results indicated that dietary interventions using nutraceutical food formulation made out of SC can play a significant role in the prevention and management of degenerative diseases.

Use of Phage Display to Generate Conformation-Sensor Recombinant Antibodies

PubMed Central

Haque, Aftabul; Tonks, Nicholas K.

2013-01-01

We describe a phage display approach that we have previously used to generate conformation-sensor antibodies that recognize specifically and stabilize the oxidized, inactive conformation of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B). We use a solution-based panning and screening strategy conducted in the presence of reduced active PTP1B, which enriches antibodies to epitopes unique to the oxidized form, while excluding antibodies that recognize epitopes common to oxidized and reduced forms of PTP1B. This strategy avoids conventional solid-phase immobilization, with its inherent potential for denaturation of the antigen. In addition, a functional screening strategy selects scFvs directly for their capacity for both specific binding and stabilization of the target enzyme in its inactive conformation. These conformation-specific scFvs illustrate that stabilization of oxidized PTP1B is an effective strategy to inhibit PTP1B function; it is possible that this approach may be applicable to the PTP family as a whole. Using this protocol, isolation and characterization of specific scFvs from immune responsive animals should take ~6 weeks. PMID:23154784

Imaging quality of (44)Sc in comparison with five other PET radionuclides using Derenzo phantoms and preclinical PET.

PubMed

Bunka, Maruta; Müller, Cristina; Vermeulen, Christiaan; Haller, Stephanie; Türler, Andreas; Schibli, Roger; van der Meulen, Nicholas P

2016-04-01

PET is the favored nuclear imaging technique because of the high sensitivity and resolution it provides, as well as the possibility for quantification of accumulated radioactivity. (44)Sc (T1/2=3.97h, Eβ(+)=632keV) was recently proposed as a potentially interesting radionuclide for PET. The aim of this study was to investigate the image quality, which can be obtained with (44)Sc, and compare it with five other, frequently employed PET nuclides using Derenzo phantoms and a small-animal PET scanner. The radionuclides were produced at the medical cyclotron at CRS, ETH Zurich ((11)C, (18)F), at the Injector II research cyclotron at CRS, PSI ((64)Cu, (89)Zr, (44)Sc), as well as via a generator system ((68)Ga). Derenzo phantoms, containing solutions of each of these radionuclides, were scanned using a GE Healthcare eXplore VISTA small-animal PET scanner. The image resolution was determined for each nuclide by analysis of the intensity signal using the reconstructed PET data of a hole diameter of 1.3mm. The image quality of (44)Sc was compared to five frequently-used PET radionuclides. In agreement with the positron range, an increasing relative resolution was determined in the sequence of (68)Ga<(44)Sc<(89)Zr<(11)C<(64)Cu<(18)F. The performance of (44)Sc was in agreement with the theoretical expectations based on the energy of the emitted positrons. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Functional Consequences of Complementarity-determining Region Deactivation in a Multifunctional Anti-nucleic Acid Antibody*

PubMed Central

Lee, Jiyeon; Kim, Hye-Jin; Roh, Jooho; Seo, Youngsil; Kim, Minjae; Jun, Hye-Ryeong; Pham, Chuong D.; Kwon, Myung-Hee

2013-01-01

Many murine monoclonal anti-DNA antibodies (Abs) derived from mice models for systemic lupus erythematosus have additional cell-penetration and/or nucleic acid-hydrolysis properties. Here, we examined the influence of deactivating each complementarity-determining region (CDR) within a multifunctional anti-nucleic acid antibody (Ab) that possesses these activities, the catalytic 3D8 single chain variable fragment (scFv). CDR-deactivated 3D8 scFv variants were generated by replacing all of the amino acids within each CDR with Gly/Ser residues. The structure of 3D8 scFv accommodated single complete CDR deactivations. Different functional activities of 3D8 scFv were affected differently depending on which CDR was deactivated. The only exception was CDR1, located within the light chain (LCDR1); deactivation of LCDR1 abolished all of the functional activities of 3D8 scFv. A hybrid Ab, HW6/3D8L1, in which the LCDR1 from an unrelated Ab (HW6) was replaced with the LCDR1 from 3D8, acquired all activities associated with the 3D8 scFv. These results suggest that the activity of a multifunctional 3D8 scFv Ab can be modulated by single complete CDR deactivation and that the LCDR1 plays a crucial role in maintaining Ab properties. This study presents a new approach for determining the role of individual CDRs in multifunctional Abs with important implications for the future of Ab engineering. PMID:24155236

Accuracy of Answers to Cell Lineage Questions Depends on Single-Cell Genomics Data Quality and Quantity.

PubMed

Spiro, Adam; Shapiro, Ehud

2016-06-01

Advances in single-cell (SC) genomics enable commensurate improvements in methods for uncovering lineage relations among individual cells, as determined by phylogenetic analysis of the somatic mutations harbored by each cell. Theoretically, complete and accurate knowledge of the genome of each cell of an individual can produce an extremely accurate cell lineage tree of that individual. However, the reality of SC genomics is that such complete and accurate knowledge would be wanting, in quality and in quantity, for the foreseeable future. In this paper we offer a framework for systematically exploring the feasibility of answering cell lineage questions based on SC somatic mutational analysis, as a function of SC genomics data quality and quantity. We take into consideration the current limitations of SC genomics in terms of mutation data quality, most notably amplification bias and allele dropouts (ADO), as well as cost, which puts practical limits on mutation data quantity obtained from each cell as well as on cell sample density. We do so by generating in silico cell lineage trees using a dedicated formal language, eSTG, and show how the ability to answer correctly a cell lineage question depends on the quality and quantity of the SC mutation data. The presented framework can serve as a baseline for the potential of current SC genomics to unravel cell lineage dynamics, as well as the potential contributions of future advancement, both biochemical and computational, for the task.

Establishment of hapten-specific monoclonal avian IgY by conversion of antibody fragments obtained from combinatorial libraries.

PubMed

Deckers, Susanne; Braren, Ingke; Greunke, Kerstin; Meyer, Nadine; Rühl, Dana; Bredehorst, Reinhard; Spillner, Edzard

2009-01-01

Nowadays, recombinant antibody and phage display technology enable the efficient generation of immunotools and a subsequent manipulation for optimized affinity, specificity or overall performance. Such advantages are of particular interest for haptenic target structures, such as TNT (2,4,6-trinitrotoluene). The toxicity of TNT and its breakdown products makes a reliable and fast detection of low levels in aqueous samples highly important. In the present study, we aimed for the generation of scFvs (single-chain antibody fragments) specific for the TNT-surrogate TNP (2,4,6-trinitrophenyl) and their subsequent production as monoclonal avian IgY immunoglobulins providing improved assay performance. Therefore we subjected a human synthetic scFv library to selection following different strategies. TNP-specific human antibody fragments could be identified, characterized for their primary structure and evaluated for production as soluble scFv in Escherichia coli. Additionally, a murine TNP-specific antibody fragment was obtained from the hybridoma 11B3; however, the prokaryotic expression level was found to be limited. To generate and evaluate immunoglobulin formats with superior characteristics, all recombinant antibody fragments then were converted into two different chimaeric bivalent IgY antibody formats. After expression in mammalian cells, the IgY antibodies were assessed for their reactivity towards TNT. The IgY antibodies generated on the basis of the combinatorial library proved to be useful for detection of TNT, thereby emphasizing the high potential of this approach for the development of detection devices for immunoassay-based techniques.

So What's an RTG and Are They Safe?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barret, Chris; Hughes, R. W. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

When one considers space missions to the outer edges of our solar system and far beyond, our sun cannot be relied on to produce the required spacecraft (s/c) power. Solar energy diminishes as the square of the distance from the Sun. At Mars it is only 43% of that at earth. At Jupiter, it falls off to only 3.6% of Earth's. By the time we get out to Pluto, solar energy is only .066% what it is on Earth. Beyond the orbit of Mars, it is not practical to depend on solar power for a s/c. However, the farther out we go the more power we need to heat the s/c and to transmit data back to Earth over the long distances. On Earth, knowledge is power. In the outer solar system, power is knowledge. Solar arrays only operate at 19% efficiency, are very vulnerable to damage from radiation and temperature extremes, and cannot be used for even nearby missions that operate in extended darkness, or under the surface of a planet or moon. Twenty-six U.S. space missions, from the Transit to Cassini, have used radioisotope power systems and heater units to take s/c to the far reaches of our solar system and have demonstrated an outstanding record of safety and reliability. Radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTG's) have proven to be safe, reliable, maintenance-free, and capable of providing both thermal and electrical power for decades under the harsh environments of deep space. RTG's have no problem operating in the high radiation belts of space, the extreme temperatures, or the severe dust storms of Mars, and they have proven to be the most reliable power source ever flown on U.S. s/c. For example, the two Pioneer s/c operated for more than two decades and the Voyager s/c may last for 40 years. RTG's are not nuclear reactors, they serve only as power generators and are not involved in the propulsion of the s/c. They operate on the principle of thermoelectric generation that converts heat directly into electricity, they have no moving parts, are extremely reliable, and have met or exceeded all safety and performance expectations. Federal laws and regulations require analysis and evaluation of the safety risks and any potential environmental impacts. Extensive safety testing of RTG's and RTG components has been performed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to demonstrate the ability to survive accidents related to Space Shuttle launches and assure that the systems would be safe under all accident conditions, including accidents at or near the launch pad or during orbital reentry. Many design improvements have been made over the four decades that RTG's have been flown on space missions. This paper outlines the operation and safety standards of RTG's and the advanced developments expected to be used on future deep space missions such as the Europa Orbiter, Pluto/Kuiper Express, Solar Probe, Europa Lander, and Titan Explorer missions.

Coupling a single nitrogen-vacancy center with a superconducting qubit via the electro-optic effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chang-Hao; Li, Peng-Bo

2018-05-01

We propose an efficient scheme for transferring quantum states and generating entangled states between two qubits of different nature. The hybrid system consists of a single nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center and a superconducting (SC) qubit, which couple to an optical cavity and a microwave resonator, respectively. Meanwhile, the optical cavity and the microwave resonator are coupled via the electro-optic effect. By adjusting the relative parameters, we can achieve high-fidelity quantum state transfer as well as highly entangled states between the NV center and the SC qubit. This protocol is within the reach of currently available techniques, and may provide interesting applications in quantum communication and computation with single NV centers and SC qubits.

Targeting nanodisks via a single chain variable antibody--apolipoprotein chimera.

PubMed

Iovannisci, David M; Beckstead, Jennifer A; Ryan, Robert O

2009-02-06

Nanodisks (ND) are nanometer scale complexes of phospholipid and apolipoprotein that have been shown to function as drug delivery vehicles. ND harboring significant quantities of the antifungal agent, amphotericin B, or the bioactive isoprenoid, all trans retinoic acid, have been generated and characterized. As currently formulated, ND possess limited targeting capability. In this study, we constructed a single chain variable antibody (scFv).apolipoprotein chimera and assessed the ability of this fusion protein to form ND and recognize the antigen to which the scFv is directed. Data obtained revealed that alpha-vimentin scFv.apolipoprotein A-I is functional in ND formation and antigen recognition, opening the door to the use of such chimeras in targeting drug-enriched ND to specific tissues.

The role of the bi-compartmental stem cell niche in delaying cancer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shahriyari, Leili; Komarova, Natalia L.

2015-10-01

In recent years, by using modern imaging techniques, scientists have found evidence of collaboration between different types of stem cells (SCs), and proposed a bi-compartmental organization of the SC niche. Here we create a class of stochastic models to simulate the dynamics of such a heterogeneous SC niche. We consider two SC groups: the border compartment, S1, is in direct contact with transit-amplifying (TA) cells, and the central compartment, S2, is hierarchically upstream from S1. The S1 SCs differentiate or divide asymmetrically when the tissue needs TA cells. Both groups proliferate when the tissue requires SCs (thus maintaining homeostasis). There is an influx of S2 cells into the border compartment, either by migration, or by proliferation. We examine this model in the context of double-hit mutant generation, which is a rate-limiting step in the development of many cancers. We discover that this type of a cooperative pattern in the stem niche with two compartments leads to a significantly smaller rate of double-hit mutant production compared with a homogeneous, one-compartmental SC niche. Furthermore, the minimum probability of double-hit mutant generation corresponds to purely symmetric division of SCs, consistent with the literature. Finally, the optimal architecture (which minimizes the rate of double-hit mutant production) requires a large proliferation rate of S1 cells along with a small, but non-zero, proliferation rate of S2 cells. This result is remarkably similar to the niche structure described recently by several authors, where one of the two SC compartments was found more actively engaged in tissue homeostasis and turnover, while the other was characterized by higher levels of quiescence (but contributed strongly to injury recovery). Both numerical and analytical results are presented.

Hydraulic permeability of multilayered collagen gel scaffolds under plastic compression-induced unidirectional fluid flow.

PubMed

Serpooshan, Vahid; Quinn, Thomas M; Muja, Naser; Nazhat, Showan N

2013-01-01

Under conditions of free fluid flow, highly hydrated fibrillar collagen gels expel fluid and undergo gravity driven consolidation (self-compression; SC). This process can be accelerated by the application of a compressive stress (plastic compression; PC) in order to generate dense collagen scaffolds for tissue engineering. To define the microstructural evolution of collagen gels under PC, this study applied a two-layer micromechanical model that was previously developed to measure hydraulic permeability (k) under SC. Radially confined PC resulted in unidirectional fluid flow through the gel and the formation of a dense lamella at the fluid expulsion boundary which was confirmed by confocal microscopy of collagen immunoreactivity. Gel mass loss due to PC and subsequent SC were measured and applied to Darcy's law to calculate the thickness of the lamella and hydrated layer, as well as their relative permeabilities. Increasing PC level resulted in a significant increase in mass loss fraction and lamellar thickness, while the thickness of the hydrated layer dramatically decreased. Permeability of lamella also decreased from 1.8×10(-15) to 1.0×10(-15) m(2) in response to an increase in PC level. Ongoing SC, following PC, resulted in a uniform decrease in mass loss and k with increasing PC level and as a function SC time. Experimental k data were in close agreement with those estimated by the Happel model. Calculation of average k values for various two-layer microstructures indicated that they each approached 10(-15)-10(-14) m(2) at equilibrium. In summary, the two-layer micromechanical model can be used to define the microstructure and permeability of multi-layered biomimetic scaffolds generated by PC. Copyright © 2012 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rational development and characterization of humanized anti-EGFR variant III chimeric antigen receptor T cells for glioblastoma.

PubMed

Johnson, Laura A; Scholler, John; Ohkuri, Takayuki; Kosaka, Akemi; Patel, Prachi R; McGettigan, Shannon E; Nace, Arben K; Dentchev, Tzvete; Thekkat, Pramod; Loew, Andreas; Boesteanu, Alina C; Cogdill, Alexandria P; Chen, Taylor; Fraietta, Joseph A; Kloss, Christopher C; Posey, Avery D; Engels, Boris; Singh, Reshma; Ezell, Tucker; Idamakanti, Neeraja; Ramones, Melissa H; Li, Na; Zhou, Li; Plesa, Gabriela; Seykora, John T; Okada, Hideho; June, Carl H; Brogdon, Jennifer L; Maus, Marcela V

2015-02-18

Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) are synthetic molecules designed to redirect T cells to specific antigens. CAR-modified T cells can mediate long-term durable remissions in B cell malignancies, but expanding this platform to solid tumors requires the discovery of surface targets with limited expression in normal tissues. The variant III mutation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFRvIII) results from an in-frame deletion of a portion of the extracellular domain, creating a neoepitope. We chose a vector backbone encoding a second-generation CAR based on efficacy of a murine scFv-based CAR in a xenograft model of glioblastoma. Next, we generated a panel of humanized scFvs and tested their specificity and function as soluble proteins and in the form of CAR-transduced T cells; a low-affinity scFv was selected on the basis of its specificity for EGFRvIII over wild-type EGFR. The lead candidate scFv was tested in vitro for its ability to direct CAR-transduced T cells to specifically lyse, proliferate, and secrete cytokines in response to antigen-bearing targets. We further evaluated the specificity of the lead CAR candidate in vitro against EGFR-expressing keratinocytes and in vivo in a model of mice grafted with normal human skin. EGFRvIII-directed CAR T cells were also able to control tumor growth in xenogeneic subcutaneous and orthotopic models of human EGFRvIII(+) glioblastoma. On the basis of these results, we have designed a phase 1 clinical study of CAR T cells transduced with humanized scFv directed to EGFRvIII in patients with either residual or recurrent glioblastoma (NCT02209376). Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

A 5-year experience with an elective scholarly concentrations program

PubMed Central

George, Paul; Green, Emily P.; Park, Yoon S.; Gruppuso, Philip A.

2015-01-01

Problem Programs that encourage scholarly activities beyond the core curriculum and traditional biomedical research are now commonplace among US medical schools. Few studies have generated outcome data for these programs. The goal of the present study was to address this gap. Intervention The Scholarly Concentration (SC) Program, established in 2006 at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, is a 4-year elective program that not only encourages students to pursue scholarly work that may include traditional biomedical research but also seeks to broaden students’ focus to include less traditional areas. We compared characteristics and academic performance of SC students and non-SC students for the graduating classes of 2010–2014. Context Approximately one-third of our students opt to complete an SC during their 4-year undergraduate medical education. Because this program is additional to the regular MD curriculum, we sought to investigate whether SC students sustained the academic achievement of non-SC students while at the same time producing scholarly work as part of the program. Outcome Over 5 years, 35% of students elected to enter the program and approximately 81% of these students completed the program. The parameters that were similar for both SC and non-SC students were age at matriculation, admission route, proportion of undergraduate science majors, and number of undergraduate science courses. Most academic indicators, including United States Medical Licensing Examinations scores, were similar for the two groups; however, SC students achieved more honors in the six core clerkships and were more likely to be inducted into the medical school's two honor societies. Residency specialties selected by graduates in the two groups were similar. SC students published an average of 1.3 peer-reviewed manuscripts per student, higher than the 0.8 manuscripts per non-SC student (p=0.013). Conclusions An elective, interdisciplinary scholarly program with a focus beyond traditional biomedical research offers students the opportunity to expand the scope of their medical education without an untoward effect on academic performance or residency placement. PMID:26561482

Optical Gating with Asymmetric Field Ratios for Isolated Attosecond Pulse Generation

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-01

field intensity at t = tc. 0 15 30 45 60 75 90 0.0 1:3 1:2 1:1 2:1 3:1 1 2 2 Field ratio Sc alin g f act or Polarization angle θ1 (deg) APG ADOG...of using field asymmetry is low compared to that of using field ellipticity. 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 5 10 15 20 25 Sc alin g f act or Field

Prospective Assessment of Neurocognition in Future Gulf-Deployed and Gulf-Nondeployed Military Personnel: A Pilot Study

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-02-01

CW, Castro CA, Messer SC, McGurk D, Cotting DI, Koffman RL : Combat duty in Iraq and Afghanistan: mental health problems and barriers to care. N Eng...JA, Hough RL , Jordan BK, Marmar CR, et al. Trauma and the Vietnam war generation: Report of findings from the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment...Castro CA, Messer SC, McGurk D, Cotting DI, Koffman RL . Combat duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, mental health problems, and barriers to care. N Engl J Med

Enrichment of Sc2O3 and TiO2 from bauxite ore residues.

PubMed

Deng, Bona; Li, Guanghui; Luo, Jun; Ye, Qing; Liu, Mingxia; Peng, Zhiwei; Jiang, Tao

2017-06-05

As a major byproduct generated in the alumina industry, bauxite ore residue is an important reserve of scandium and titanium. In this study, the feasibility and mechanism of enriching Sc 2 O 3 and TiO 2 from a non-magnetic material, which was obtained from carbothermal reductive roasting and magnetic separation of bauxite ore residue, were investigated based on a two-step (acidic and alkali) leaching process. It was revealed that approximately 78% SiO 2 and 30-40% of CaO, FeO and Al 2 O 3 were removed from a non-magnetic material with 0.0134wt.% Sc 2 O 3 and 7.64wt.% TiO 2 by phosphoric acidic leaching, while about 95% Al 2 O 3 and P 2 O 5 were further leached by subsequent sodium hydroxide leaching of the upper-stream leach residue. A Sc 2 O 3 -, TiO 2 - rich material containing 0.044wt.% Sc 2 O 3 and 25.5wt.% TiO 2 was obtained, the recovery and the enrichment factor of Sc 2 O 3 and TiO 2 were about 85% and 5, respectively. The enrichment of Sc 2 O 3 was attributed to higher pH (>3.3) of phosphoric acid solution than its dissolution pH 0 , and the enrichment of TiO 2 was mainly associated with the insoluble perovskite (CaTiO 3 ) in the acidic solution at ambient temperature. As Sc 2 O 3 and TiO 2 cannot be dissolved in the alkali solution, they were further enriched in the leach residue. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Molecular Analysis of Mixed Endometrial Carcinomas Shows Clonality in Most Cases.

PubMed

Köbel, Martin; Meng, Bo; Hoang, Lien N; Almadani, Noorah; Li, Xiaodong; Soslow, Robert A; Gilks, C Blake; Lee, Cheng-Han

2016-02-01

Mixed endometrial carcinoma refers to a tumor that comprises 2 or more distinct histotypes. We studied 18 mixed-type endometrial carcinomas-11 mixed serous and low-grade endometrioid carcinomas (SC/EC), 5 mixed clear cell and low-grade ECs (CCC/EC), and 2 mixed CCC and SCs (CCC/SC), using targeted next-generation sequencing and immunohistochemistry to compare the molecular profiles of the different histotypes present in each case. In 16 of 18 cases there was molecular evidence that both components shared a clonal origin. Eight cases (6 EC/SC, 1 EC/CCC, and 1 SC/CCC) showed an SC molecular profile that was the same in both components. Five cases (3 CCC/EC and 2 SC/EC) showed a shared endometrioid molecular profile and identical mismatch-repair protein deficiency in both components. A single SC/EC case harbored the same POLE exonuclease domain mutation in both components. One SC/CCC and 1 EC/CCC case showed both shared and unique molecular features in the 2 histotype components, suggesting early molecular divergence from a common clonal origin. In 2 cases, there were no shared molecular features, and these appear to be biologically unrelated synchronous tumors. Overall, these results show that the different histologic components in mixed endometrial carcinomas typically share the same molecular aberrations. Mixed endometrial carcinomas most commonly occur through morphologic mimicry, whereby tumors with serous-type molecular profile show morphologic features of EC or CCC, or through underlying deficiency in DNA nucleotide repair, with resulting rapid accrual of mutations and intratumoral phenotypic heterogeneity. Less commonly, mixed endometrial carcinomas are the result of early molecular divergence from a common progenitor clone or are synchronous biologically unrelated tumors (collision tumors).

New resilience instrument for patients with cancer.

PubMed

Ye, Zeng Jie; Liang, Mu Zi; Li, Peng Fei; Sun, Zhe; Chen, Peng; Hu, Guang Yun; Yu, Yuan Liang; Wang, Shu Ni; Qiu, Hong Zhong

2018-02-01

Resilience is an important concept in the cancer literature and is a salient indicator of cancer survivorship. The aim of this study is to develop and validate a new resilience instrument that is specific to patients with cancer diagnosis (RS-SC) in Mainland China. First, a resilience framework was constructed for patients with cancer diagnosis. Second, items were formulated based on the framework to reflect different aspects of resilience. Third, two rounds of expert panel discussion were performed to select important and relevant items. Finally, two cross-sectional studies were conducted to evaluate the psychometric properties of this instrument. Fifty-one items were generated based on the resilience framework and the final 25-item RS-SC resulted in a five-factor solution including Generic Elements, Benefit Finding, Support and Coping, Hope for the Future and Meaning for Existence, accounting for 64.72% of the variance. The Cronbach's α of the RS-SC was 0.825 and the test-retest reliability was 0.874. The RS-SC is a brief and specific self-report resilience instrument for Chinese patients with cancer and shows sound psychometric properties in this study. The RS-SC has potential applications in both clinical practice and research with strength-based resiliency interventions.

Continuous-wave and Q-switched microchip laser performance of Yb:Y3Sc2Al3O12 crystals.

PubMed

Dong, Jun; Ueda, Ken-ichi; Kaminskii, Alexander A

2008-04-14

Optical properties of Yb:Y(3)Sc(2)Al(3)O(12) crystal were investigated and compared with those from Yb:YAG crystals. The broad absorption and emission spectra of Yb:Y(3)Sc(2)Al(3)O(12) show that this crystal is very suitable for laser-diode pumping and ultrafast laser pulse generation. Laser-diode pumped continuous-wave and passively Q-switched Yb:Y(3)Sc(2)Al(3)O(12) lasers with Cr(4+):YAG crystals as saturable absorber have been demonstrated for the first time. Continuous-wave output power of 1.12 W around 1032 nm (multi-longitudinal modes) was measured with an optical-to-optical efficiency of 30%. Laser pulses with pulse energy of over 31 microJ and pulse width of 2.5 ns were measured at repetition rate of over 12.7 kHz; a corresponding peak power of over 12 kW was obtained. The longitudinal mode selection by a thin plate of Cr(4+):YAG as an intracavity etalon was also observed in passively Q-switched Yb:Y(3)Sc(2)Al(2)O(12) microchip lasers.

Production of anti-amoxicillin ScFv antibody and simulation studying its molecular recognition mechanism for penicillins.

PubMed

Liu, Jing; Zhang, Hui C; Duan, Chang F; Dong, Jun; Zhao, Guo X; Wang, Jian P; Li, Nan; Liu, Jin Z; Li, Yu W

2016-11-01

The molecular recognition mechanism of an antibody for its hapten is very interesting. The objective of this research was to study the intermolecular interactions of an anti-amoxicillin antibody with penicillin drugs. The single chain variable fragment (ScFv) antibody was generated from a hybridoma cell strain excreting the monoclonal antibody for amoxicillin. The recombinant ScFv antibody showed similar recognition ability for penicillins to its parental monoclonal antibody: simultaneous recognizing 11 penicillins with cross-reactivities of 18-107%. The three-dimensional structure of the ScFv antibody was simulated by using homology modeling, and its intermolecular interactions with 11 penicillins were studied by using molecular docking. Results showed that three CDRs are involved in antibody recognition; CDR L3 Arg 100, CDR H3 Tyr226, and CDR H3 Arg 228 were the key contact amino acid residues; hydrogen bonding was the main antibody-drug intermolecular force; and the core structure of penicillin drugs was the main antibody binding position. These results could explain the recognition mechanism of anti-amoxicillin antibody for amoxicillin and its analogs. This is the first study reporting the production of ScFv antibody for penicillins and stimulation studying its recognition mechanism.

Integrating single-cell transcriptomic data across different conditions, technologies, and species.

PubMed

Butler, Andrew; Hoffman, Paul; Smibert, Peter; Papalexi, Efthymia; Satija, Rahul

2018-06-01

Computational single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) methods have been successfully applied to experiments representing a single condition, technology, or species to discover and define cellular phenotypes. However, identifying subpopulations of cells that are present across multiple data sets remains challenging. Here, we introduce an analytical strategy for integrating scRNA-seq data sets based on common sources of variation, enabling the identification of shared populations across data sets and downstream comparative analysis. We apply this approach, implemented in our R toolkit Seurat (http://satijalab.org/seurat/), to align scRNA-seq data sets of peripheral blood mononuclear cells under resting and stimulated conditions, hematopoietic progenitors sequenced using two profiling technologies, and pancreatic cell 'atlases' generated from human and mouse islets. In each case, we learn distinct or transitional cell states jointly across data sets, while boosting statistical power through integrated analysis. Our approach facilitates general comparisons of scRNA-seq data sets, potentially deepening our understanding of how distinct cell states respond to perturbation, disease, and evolution.

Introduction to Single-Cell RNA Sequencing.

PubMed

Olsen, Thale Kristin; Baryawno, Ninib

2018-04-01

During the last decade, high-throughput sequencing methods have revolutionized the entire field of biology. The opportunity to study entire transcriptomes in great detail using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) has fueled many important discoveries and is now a routine method in biomedical research. However, RNA-seq is typically performed in "bulk," and the data represent an average of gene expression patterns across thousands to millions of cells; this might obscure biologically relevant differences between cells. Single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) represents an approach to overcome this problem. By isolating single cells, capturing their transcripts, and generating sequencing libraries in which the transcripts are mapped to individual cells, scRNA-seq allows assessment of fundamental biological properties of cell populations and biological systems at unprecedented resolution. Here, we present the most common scRNA-seq protocols in use today and the basics of data analysis and discuss factors that are important to consider before planning and designing an scRNA-seq project. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Femtosecond pump/supercontinuum-probe spectroscopy: optimized setup and signal analysis for single-shot spectral referencing.

PubMed

Dobryakov, A L; Kovalenko, S A; Weigel, A; Pérez-Lustres, J L; Lange, J; Müller, A; Ernsting, N P

2010-11-01

A setup for pump/supercontinuum-probe spectroscopy is described which (i) is optimized to cancel fluctuations of the probe light by single-shot referencing, and (ii) extends the probe range into the near-uv (1000-270 nm). Reflective optics allow 50 μm spot size in the sample and upon entry into two separate spectrographs. The correlation γ(same) between sample and reference readings of probe light level at every pixel exceeds 0.99, compared to γ(consec)<0.92 reported for consecutive referencing. Statistical analysis provides the confidence interval of the induced optical density, ΔOD. For demonstration we first examine a dye (Hoechst 33258) bound in the minor groove of double-stranded DNA. A weak 1.1 ps spectral oscillation in the fluorescence region, assigned to DNA breathing, is shown to be significant. A second example concerns the weak vibrational structure around t=0 which reflects stimulated Raman processes. With 1% fluctuations of probe power, baseline noise for a transient absorption spectrum becomes 25 μOD rms in 1 s at 1 kHz, allowing to record resonance Raman spectra of flavine adenine dinucleotide in the S(0) and S(1) state.

SiNOI and AlGaAs-on-SOI nonlinear circuits for continuum generation in Si photonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El Dirani, Houssein; Monat, Christelle; Brision, Stéphane; Olivier, Nicolas; Jany, Christophe; Letartre, Xavier; Pu, Minhao; Girouard, Peter D.; Hagedorn Frandsen, Lars; Semenova, Elizaveta; Katsuo Oxenløwe, Leif; Yvind, Kresten; Sciancalepore, Corrado

2018-02-01

In this communication, we report on the design, fabrication, and testing of Silicon Nitride on Insulator (SiNOI) and Aluminum-Gallium-Arsenide (AlGaAs) on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) nonlinear photonic circuits for continuum generation in Silicon (Si) photonics. As recently demonstrated, the generation of frequency continua and supercontinua can be used to overcome the intrinsic limitations of nowadays silicon photonics notably concerning the heterogeneous integration of III-V on SOI lasers for datacom and telecom applications. By using the Kerr nonlinearity of monolithic silicon nitride and heterointegrated GaAs-based alloys on SOI, the generation of tens or even hundreds of new optical frequencies can be obtained in dispersion tailored waveguides, thus providing an all-optical alternative to the heterointegration of hundreds of standalone III-V on Si lasers. In our work, we present paths to energy-efficient continua generation on silicon photonics circuits. Notably, we demonstrate spectral broadening covering the full C-band via Kerrbased self-phase modulation in SiNOI nanowires featuring full process compatibility with Si photonic devices. Moreover, AlGaAs waveguides are heterointegrated on SOI in order to dramatically reduce (x1/10) thresholds in optical parametric oscillation and in the power required for supercontinuum generation under pulsed pumping. The manufacturing techniques allowing the monolithic co-integration of nonlinear functionalities on existing CMOS-compatible Si photonics for both active and passive components will be shown. Experimental evidence based on self-phase modulation show SiNOI and AlGaAs nanowires capable of generating wide-spanning frequency continua in the C-Band. This will pave the way for low-threshold power-efficient Kerr-based comb- and continuum- sources featuring compatibility with Si photonic integrated circuits (Si-PICs).

Free-carrier-induced soliton fission unveiled by in situ measurements in nanophotonic waveguides

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Husko, Chad; Wulf, Matthias; Lefrancois, Simon

Solitons are localized waves formed by a balance of focusing and defocusing effects. These nonlinear waves exist in diverse forms of matter yet exhibit similar properties including stability, periodic recurrence and particle-like trajectories. One important property is soliton fission, a process by which an energetic higher-order soliton breaks apart due to dispersive or nonlinear perturbations. Here we demonstrate through both experiment and theory that nonlinear photocarrier generation can induce soliton fission. Using near-field measurements, we directly observe the nonlinear spatial and temporal evolution of optical pulses in situ in a nanophotonic semiconductor waveguide. We develop an analytic formalism describing themore » free-carrier dispersion (FCD) perturbation and show the experiment exceeds the minimum threshold by an order of magnitude. We confirm these observations with a numerical nonlinear Schrodinger equation model. Finally, these results provide a fundamental explanation and physical scaling of optical pulse evolution in free-carrier media and could enable improved supercontinuum sources in gas based and integrated semiconductor waveguides.« less

Chromatic confocal microscopy for multi-depth imaging of epithelial tissue

PubMed Central

Olsovsky, Cory; Shelton, Ryan; Carrasco-Zevallos, Oscar; Applegate, Brian E.; Maitland, Kristen C.

2013-01-01

We present a novel chromatic confocal microscope capable of volumetric reflectance imaging of microstructure in non-transparent tissue. Our design takes advantage of the chromatic aberration of aspheric lenses that are otherwise well corrected. Strong chromatic aberration, generated by multiple aspheres, longitudinally disperses supercontinuum light onto the sample. The backscattered light detected with a spectrometer is therefore wavelength encoded and each spectrum corresponds to a line image. This approach obviates the need for traditional axial mechanical scanning techniques that are difficult to implement for endoscopy and susceptible to motion artifact. A wavelength range of 590-775 nm yielded a >150 µm imaging depth with ~3 µm axial resolution. The system was further demonstrated by capturing volumetric images of buccal mucosa. We believe these represent the first microstructural images in non-transparent biological tissue using chromatic confocal microscopy that exhibit long imaging depth while maintaining acceptable resolution for resolving cell morphology. Miniaturization of this optical system could bring enhanced speed and accuracy to endomicroscopic in vivo volumetric imaging of epithelial tissue. PMID:23667789

Soliton-plasma nonlinear dynamics in mid-IR gas-filled hollow-core fibers.

PubMed

Selim Habib, Md; Markos, Christos; Bang, Ole; Bache, Morten

2017-06-01

We investigate numerically soliton-plasma interaction in a noble-gas-filled silica hollow-core anti-resonant fiber pumped in the mid-IR at 3.0 μm. We observe multiple soliton self-compression stages due to distinct stages where either the self-focusing or the self-defocusing nonlinearity dominates. Specifically, the parameters may be tuned so the competing plasma self-defocusing nonlinearity only dominates over the Kerr self-focusing nonlinearity around the soliton self-compression stage, where the increasing peak intensity on the leading pulse edge initiates a competing self-defocusing plasma nonlinearity acting nonlocally on the trailing edge, effectively preventing soliton formation there. As the plasma switches off after the self-compression stage, self-focusing dominates again, initiating another soliton self-compression stage in the trailing edge. This process is accompanied by supercontinuum generation spanning 1-4 μm. We find that the spectral coherence drops as the secondary compression stage is initiated.

Free-carrier-induced soliton fission unveiled by in situ measurements in nanophotonic waveguides

DOE PAGES

Husko, Chad; Wulf, Matthias; Lefrancois, Simon; ...

2016-04-15

Solitons are localized waves formed by a balance of focusing and defocusing effects. These nonlinear waves exist in diverse forms of matter yet exhibit similar properties including stability, periodic recurrence and particle-like trajectories. One important property is soliton fission, a process by which an energetic higher-order soliton breaks apart due to dispersive or nonlinear perturbations. Here we demonstrate through both experiment and theory that nonlinear photocarrier generation can induce soliton fission. Using near-field measurements, we directly observe the nonlinear spatial and temporal evolution of optical pulses in situ in a nanophotonic semiconductor waveguide. We develop an analytic formalism describing themore » free-carrier dispersion (FCD) perturbation and show the experiment exceeds the minimum threshold by an order of magnitude. We confirm these observations with a numerical nonlinear Schrodinger equation model. Finally, these results provide a fundamental explanation and physical scaling of optical pulse evolution in free-carrier media and could enable improved supercontinuum sources in gas based and integrated semiconductor waveguides.« less

Gain determination of optical active doped planar waveguides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Šmejcký, J.; Jeřábek, V.; Nekvindová, P.

2017-12-01

This paper summarizes the results of the gain transmission characteristics measurement carried out on the new ion exchange Ag+ - Na+ optical Er3+ and Yb3+ doped active planar waveguides realized on a silica based glass substrates. The results were used for optimization of the precursor concentration in the glass substrates. The gain measurements were performed by the time domain method using a pulse generator, as well as broadband measurement method using supercontinuum optical source in the wavelength domain. Both methods were compared and the results were graphically processed. It has been confirmed that pulse method is useful as it provides a very accurate measurement of the gain - pumping power characteristics for one wavelength. In the case of radiation spectral characteristics, our measurement exactly determined the maximum gain wavelength bandwidth of the active waveguide. The spectral characteristics of the pumped and unpumped waveguides were compared. The gain parameters of the reported silica-based glasses can be compared with the phosphate-based parameters, typically used for optical active devices application.

Photoimaging of the multiple filamentation of femtosecond laser pulses in poly(methyl methacrylate) doped with 2,2-difluoro-4-(9-anthracyl)-6-methyl-1,3,2-dioxaborine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kulchin, Yu N; Vitrik, O B; Chekhlenok, A A

2013-12-31

We have studied the filamentation of femtosecond laser pulses (λ = 800 nm, ∼42 fs pulse duration) in poly(methyl methacrylate) doped with 2,2-difluoro-4-(9-anthracyl)-6-methyl-1,3,2- dioxaborine and the associated photomodification of the material. The results demonstrate that multiple filamentation occurs at pulse energies above 5 μJ. At a pulse energy of 1.5 mJ, it is accompanied by supercontinuum generation. The average filament length in PMMA is 9 mm and the filament diameter is ∼10 μm. An incident power density of ∼10{sup 12} W cm{sup -2} ensures inscription of the filament pattern owing to two-photon photochemical processes. Preliminary exposure to continuous light atmore » λ = 400 nm enables an ordered filament pattern to be written. (interaction of laser radiation with matter)« less

Frequency-agile dual-comb spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Millot, Guy; Pitois, Stéphane; Yan, Ming; Hovhannisyan, Tatevik; Bendahmane, Abdelkrim; Hänsch, Theodor W.; Picqué, Nathalie

2016-01-01

Spectroscopic gas sensing and its applications to, for example, trace detection or chemical kinetics, require ever more demanding measurement times, acquisition rates, sensitivities, precisions and broad tuning ranges. Here, we propose a new approach to near-infrared molecular spectroscopy, utilizing advanced concepts of optical telecommunications and supercontinuum photonics. We generate, without mode-locked lasers, two frequency combs of slightly different repetition frequencies and moderate, but rapidly tunable, spectral span. The output of a frequency-agile continuous-wave laser is split and sent into two electro-optic intensity modulators. Flat-top low-noise frequency combs are produced by wave-breaking in a nonlinear optical fibre of normal dispersion. With a dual-comb spectrometer, we record Doppler-limited spectra spanning 60 GHz within 13 μs and an 80 kHz refresh rate, at a tuning speed of 10 nm s-1. The sensitivity for weak absorption is enhanced by a long gas-filled hollow-core fibre. New opportunities for real-time diagnostics may be opened up, even outside the laboratory.

Development of epitaxial Al xSc 1-xN for artificially structured metal/semiconductor superlattice metamaterials

DOE PAGES

Sands, Timothy D.; Stach, Eric A.; Saha, Bivas; ...

2015-02-01

Epitaxial nitride rocksalt metal/semiconductor superlattices are emerging as a novel class of artificially structured materials that have generated significant interest in recent years for their potential application in plasmonic and thermoelectric devices. Though most nitride metals are rocksalt, nitride semiconductors in general have hexagonal crystal structure. We report rocksalt aluminum scandium nitride (Al,Sc)N alloys as the semiconducting component in epitaxial rocksalt metal/semiconductor superlattices. The Al xSc 1-xN alloys when deposited directly on MgO substrates are stabilized in a homogeneous rocksalt (single) phase when x < 0.51. Employing 20 nm TiN as a seed layer on MgO substrates, the homogeneity rangemore » for stabilizing the rocksalt phase has been extended to x < 0.82 for a 120 nm film. The rocksalt Al xSc 1-xN alloys show moderate direct bandgap bowing with a bowing parameter, B = 1.41 ± 0.19 eV. The direct bandgap of metastable rocksalt AlN is extrapolated to be 4.70 ± 0.20 eV. The tunable lattice parameter, bandgap, dielectric permittivity, and electronic properties of rocksalt Al xSc 1-xN alloys enable high quality epitaxial rocksalt metal/Al xSc 1-xN superlattices with a wide range of accessible metamaterials properties.« less

Empirical determination of collimator scatter data for use in Radcalc commercial monitor unit calculation software: Implication for prostate volumetric modulated-arc therapy calculations.

PubMed

Richmond, Neil; Tulip, Rachael; Walker, Chris

2016-01-01

The aim of this work was to determine, by measurement and independent monitor unit (MU) check, the optimum method for determining collimator scatter for an Elekta Synergy linac with an Agility multileaf collimator (MLC) within Radcalc, a commercial MU calculation software package. The collimator scatter factors were measured for 13 field shapes defined by an Elekta Agility MLC on a Synergy linac with 6MV photons. The value of the collimator scatter associated with each field was also calculated according to the equation Sc=Sc(mlc)+Sc(corr)(Sc(open)-Sc(mlc)) with Sc(corr) varied between 0 and 1, where Sc(open) is the value of collimator scatter calculated from the rectangular collimator-defined field and Sc(mlc) the value using only the MLC-defined field shape by applying sector integration. From this the optimum value of the correction was determined as that which gives the minimum difference between measured and calculated Sc. Single (simple fluence modulation) and dual-arc (complex fluence modulation) treatment plans were generated on the Monaco system for prostate volumetric modulated-arc therapy (VMAT) delivery. The planned MUs were verified by absolute dose measurement in phantom and by an independent MU calculation. The MU calculations were repeated with values of Sc(corr) between 0 and 1. The values of the correction yielding the minimum MU difference between treatment planning system (TPS) and check MU were established. The empirically derived value of Sc(corr) giving the best fit to the measured collimator scatter factors was 0.49. This figure however was not found to be optimal for either the single- or dual-arc prostate VMAT plans, which required 0.80 and 0.34, respectively, to minimize the differences between the TPS and independent-check MU. Point dose measurement of the VMAT plans demonstrated that the TPS MUs were appropriate for the delivered dose. Although the value of Sc(corr) may be obtained by direct comparison of calculation with measurement, the efficacy of the value determined for VMAT-MU calculations are very much dependent on the complexity of the MLC delivery. Copyright © 2016 American Association of Medical Dosimetrists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Clinical Translation and First In-Human Use of [44Sc]Sc-PSMA-617 for PET Imaging of Metastasized Castrate-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

PubMed

Eppard, Elisabeth; de la Fuente, Ana; Benešová, Martina; Khawar, Ambreen; Bundschuh, Ralph A; Gärtner, Florian C; Kreppel, Barbara; Kopka, Klaus; Essler, Markus; Rösch, Frank

2017-01-01

Various trivalent radiometals are well suited for labeling of DOTA-conjugated variants of Glu-ureido-based prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) inhibitors. The DOTA-conjugate PSMA-617 has proven high potential in PSMA radioligand therapy (PSMA-RLT) of prostate cancer as well as PET imaging when labeled with lutetium-177 and gallium-68 respectively. Considering the relatively short physical half-life of gallium-68 this positron emitter precludes prolonged acquisition periods, as required for pre-therapeutic dosimetry or intraoperative applications. In this context, the positron emitter scandium-44 is an attractive alternative for PET imaging. We report the synthesis of [ 44 Sc]Sc-PSMA-617 as radiopharmaceutical with generator produced scandium-44, its in vitro characterization and clinical translation as part of a first in-human study. Scandium-44 was obtained from a 44 Ti/ 44 Sc radionuclide generator. PSMA-617 was labeled with 142.4±12.7 MBq of scandium-44 in analogy to [ 68 Ga]Ga-PSMA-617 and evaluated in vitro and in cell studies using PSMA+ LNCaP cells. A first-in-human investigation was subsequently carried out in a cohort of 4 patients (mean age 70±1.8 a) registered for [ 177 Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 therapy. 50.5±9.3 MBq (40 µg, 38.4 nmol) [ 44 Sc]Sc-PSMA-617 were applied via intravenous injection (i.v.), respectively. A Siemens Biograph 2 PET/CT system was used to acquire initial dynamic PET data (30 min) of abdomen in list mode followed by static PET/CT data (skull to mid-thigh) at 45 min, 2 and 18 h post-injection (p.i.). For quantitative analysis, dynamic images were reconstructed as 6 data sets of 300 s each. The noise ratio was measured in liver, lung and an additional region outside the body. SUV values in different organs and lesions were measured and compared to [ 68 Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 data of the same patients. Residence times and organ absorbed doses were calculated using OLINDA/EXM software. Quantitative radiochemical yields of ≥98 % were achieved using 18 nmol of PSMA-617 after 20 min at 95 °C with apparent molar activity of 6.69±0.78 MBq/nmol. Following purification, >99 % radiochemical purity was obtained. [ 44 Sc]Sc-PSMA-617 showed high stability (>95 %) in serum for 24 h. The binding affinity and internalization fraction were determined in PSMA+ LNCaP cells (IC 50 = 4.72±0.7 nM and internalization fraction: 15.78±2.14 % IA/10 6 LNCaP cells) and compared to [ 68 Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 (12.0±2.8 nM and 9.47±2.56 % IA/10 6 LNCaP cells). Physiological tracer uptake was observed in kidneys, liver, spleen, small intestine, urinary bladder, and salivary glands and pathological uptake in both soft and skeletal metastases. SUV values were significantly lower in the kidneys (14.0) compared to [ 68 Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 OET (30.5). All other measured SUV values did not show a statistically significant difference. Tumor to liver ratios were found to lie between 1.9 and 8.3 for [ 68 Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 and between 2.5 and 8.8 for [ 44 Sc]Sc-PSMA-617 after 120 min. For [ 44 Sc]Sc-PSMA-617 the ratios were higher and no statistically significant differences were observed. Total and % activity were highest in liver followed by kidneys, spleen, small intestine and salivary glands. Rapid wash out was seen in liver and spleen and gradually over time in kidneys. Kidneys received the highest radiation absorbed dose of 0.354 (0.180-0.488) mSv/MBq. No adverse pharmacological effects were observed. In conclusion [ 44 Sc]Sc-PSMA-617 PET is suitable for PET imaging of prostate cancer tissue. [ 44 Sc]Sc-PSMA-617 shows promise to enable pre-therapeutic dosimetry in clinical settings. However, the clinical advantages for individual dosimetry or other applications like intraoperative applications have to be investigated in further studies.

Clinical Translation and First In-Human Use of [44Sc]Sc-PSMA-617 for PET Imaging of Metastasized Castrate-Resistant Prostate Cancer

PubMed Central

Eppard, Elisabeth; de la Fuente, Ana; Benešová, Martina; Khawar, Ambreen; Bundschuh, Ralph A.; Gärtner, Florian C.; Kreppel, Barbara; Kopka, Klaus; Essler, Markus; Rösch, Frank

2017-01-01

Background: Various trivalent radiometals are well suited for labeling of DOTA-conjugated variants of Glu-ureido-based prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) inhibitors. The DOTA-conjugate PSMA-617 has proven high potential in PSMA radioligand therapy (PSMA-RLT) of prostate cancer as well as PET imaging when labeled with lutetium-177 and gallium-68 respectively. Considering the relatively short physical half-life of gallium-68 this positron emitter precludes prolonged acquisition periods, as required for pre-therapeutic dosimetry or intraoperative applications. In this context, the positron emitter scandium-44 is an attractive alternative for PET imaging. We report the synthesis of [44Sc]Sc-PSMA-617 as radiopharmaceutical with generator produced scandium-44, its in vitro characterization and clinical translation as part of a first in-human study. Methods: Scandium-44 was obtained from a 44Ti/44Sc radionuclide generator. PSMA-617 was labeled with 142.4±12.7 MBq of scandium-44 in analogy to [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-617 and evaluated in vitro and in cell studies using PSMA+ LNCaP cells. A first-in-human investigation was subsequently carried out in a cohort of 4 patients (mean age 70±1.8 a) registered for [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 therapy. 50.5±9.3 MBq (40 µg, 38.4 nmol) [44Sc]Sc-PSMA-617 were applied via intravenous injection (i.v.), respectively. A Siemens Biograph 2 PET/CT system was used to acquire initial dynamic PET data (30 min) of abdomen in list mode followed by static PET/CT data (skull to mid-thigh) at 45 min, 2 and 18 h post-injection (p.i.). For quantitative analysis, dynamic images were reconstructed as 6 data sets of 300 s each. The noise ratio was measured in liver, lung and an additional region outside the body. SUV values in different organs and lesions were measured and compared to [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 data of the same patients. Residence times and organ absorbed doses were calculated using OLINDA/EXM software. Results: Quantitative radiochemical yields of ≥98 % were achieved using 18 nmol of PSMA-617 after 20 min at 95 °C with apparent molar activity of 6.69±0.78 MBq/nmol. Following purification, >99 % radiochemical purity was obtained. [44Sc]Sc-PSMA-617 showed high stability (>95 %) in serum for 24 h. The binding affinity and internalization fraction were determined in PSMA+ LNCaP cells (IC50 = 4.72±0.7 nM and internalization fraction: 15.78±2.14 % IA/106 LNCaP cells) and compared to [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 (12.0±2.8 nM and 9.47±2.56 % IA/106 LNCaP cells). Physiological tracer uptake was observed in kidneys, liver, spleen, small intestine, urinary bladder, and salivary glands and pathological uptake in both soft and skeletal metastases. SUV values were significantly lower in the kidneys (14.0) compared to [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 OET (30.5). All other measured SUV values did not show a statistically significant difference. Tumor to liver ratios were found to lie between 1.9 and 8.3 for [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 and between 2.5 and 8.8 for [44Sc]Sc-PSMA-617 after 120 min. For [44Sc]Sc-PSMA-617 the ratios were higher and no statistically significant differences were observed. Total and % activity were highest in liver followed by kidneys, spleen, small intestine and salivary glands. Rapid wash out was seen in liver and spleen and gradually over time in kidneys. Kidneys received the highest radiation absorbed dose of 0.354 (0.180-0.488) mSv/MBq. No adverse pharmacological effects were observed. Conclusion: In conclusion [44Sc]Sc-PSMA-617 PET is suitable for PET imaging of prostate cancer tissue. [44Sc]Sc-PSMA-617 shows promise to enable pre-therapeutic dosimetry in clinical settings. However, the clinical advantages for individual dosimetry or other applications like intraoperative applications have to be investigated in further studies. PMID:29158832

The Denitrification Characteristics of Pseudomonas stutzeri SC221-M and Its Application to Water Quality Control in Grass Carp Aquaculture

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xiaoping; Zheng, Jiajia; Peng, Lisha; Sun, Jiandong; Zhu, Haiyan; Wang, Yibing; Li, Weifen; Wu, Xuexiang; Wu, Di

2014-01-01

To reduce ammonium and nitrite in aquaculture water, an isolate of the denitrifying bacterium Pseudomonas stutzeri, SC221-M, was obtained. The effects of various nitrogen and carbon sources, the ratio of carbon to nitrogen and temperature on bacterial growth, denitrification rates and the expression levels of nirS and nosZ in SC221-M were studied. The following conditions were determined to be optimal for growth and denitrification in SC221-M: NaNO2 as the nitrogen source, sodium citrate as the carbon source, a carbon to nitrogen ratio range of 4–8, and a temperature range of 20–35°C. Subsequently, SC221-M and the Bacillus cereus BSC24 strain were selected to generate microbial preparations. The results showed that addition of the microbial preparations decreased various hydrochemical parameters, including total dissolved solids, ammonium, nitrite, total nitrogen and the chemical oxygen demand. Nitrogen removal rates were highest on day 9; the removal rates of BSC24, SC221-M, a mixed preparation and a 3× mixed preparation were 24.5%, 26.6%, 53.9% and 53.4%, respectively. The mixed preparation (SC221-M+BSC24) was more effective at removing nitrogen than either the SC221-M or BSC24 preparation. Roche 454 pyrosequencing and subsequent analysis indicated that the control and other groups formed separate clusters, and the microbial community structure in the water changed significantly after the addition of microbial preparations. These results indicate that the addition of microbial preparations can improve both the water quality and microbial community structure in an experimental aquaculture system. P. stutzeri strain SC221-M and its related microbial preparations are potential candidates for the regulation of water quality in commercial aquaculture systems. PMID:25489740

Established a new double antibodies sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detecting Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry1Ab toxin based single-chain variable fragments from a naïve mouse phage displayed library.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiao; Xu, Chongxin; Zhang, Cunzheng; Liu, Yuan; Xie, Yajing; Liu, Xianjin

2014-04-01

ScFvs are composed of the variable regions of the heavy and light chains via a short linker that maintain the specific antigen binding abilities of antibodies. In this study, we constructed a naïve mouse phage displayed library to generate scFvs against Cry1Ab toxin. After affinity panning, positive phage-scFvs were isolated, sequenced and characterized by ELISA. The best binding ability scFv-G9 was expressed and purified. SDS-PAGE indicated that the relative molecular mass of scFv was estimated at 28 kDa. The purified scFv-G9 was used to develop a new DAS-ELISA for detecting Cry1Ab toxin, within minimum detection limit of 0.008 μg mL(-1), a working range 0.018-6.23 μg mL(-1), and the linear curve displayed an acceptable correlation coefficient of 0.98. The cross-reactivity showed that scFv-G9 had strongly binding ability to Cry1Ac toxin, but not to Cry1B, Cry1C and Cry1F toxin. The average recoveries of Cry1Ab toxin from spiked leaf and rice samples were in the range 92.1-94.8%, and 91.6-98.6%, respectively, with a coefficient of variation (C.V) less than 5.0%. These results showed promising applications of scfv-G9 for detecting Cry1Ab toxin with new DAS-ELISA. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving the affinity of an antibody for its antigen via long-range electrostatic interactions.

PubMed

Fukunaga, Atsushi; Tsumoto, Kouhei

2013-12-01

To address how long-range electrostatic force can affect antibody-antigen binding, we focused on the interactions between human cardiac troponin I and its specific single-chain antibodies (scFvs). We first isolated two scFvs against two linear epitopes with distinct isoelectric points. For the scFv against the acidic epitope (A1scFv), we mutated five residues of framework region 3 of the light chain to Lys or Arg, designated as the K- or R-mutant, respectively. For the scFv against the basic epitope (A2scFv), we mutated four or three residues in framework region 3 of the light or heavy chain to Asp, to generate the VL- and VH-mutant, respectively. Surface plasmon resonance analyses showed that the kon values of all of the mutants were greater than that of wild type, even though framework region 3 does not make direct contact with the epitope. The affinity of the K-mutant was pM range, and that of the R-mutant improved further by more than two orders of magnitude due to a decrease in the dissociation rate constant. For the A2scFv mutants, the affinity of the VL-mutant for its target improved through an increase in the kon value without a decrease in the koff value. The stability slightly decreased in all mutants. These results suggest that introducing electrostatic interaction can improve the affinity of an antibody for its target, even if the mutation reduces stability of the antibody.

A strategy to identify linker-based modules for the allosteric regulation of antibody-antigen binding affinities of different scFvs

PubMed Central

Thie, Holger

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Antibody single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) are used in a variety of applications, such as for research, diagnosis and therapy. Essential for these applications is the extraordinary specificity, selectivity and affinity of antibody paratopes, which can also be used for efficient protein purification. However, this use is hampered by the high affinity for the protein to be purified because harsh elution conditions, which may impair folding, integrity or viability of the eluted biomaterials, are typically required. In this study, we developed a strategy to obtain structural elements that provide allosteric modulation of the affinities of different antibody scFvs for their antigen. To identify suitable allosteric modules, a complete set of cyclic permutations of calmodulin variants was generated and tested for modulation of the affinity when substituting the linker between VH and VL. Modulation of affinity induced by addition of different calmodulin-binding peptides at physiologic conditions was demonstrated for 5 of 6 tested scFvs of different specificities and antigens ranging from cell surface proteins to haptens. In addition, a variety of different modulator peptides were tested. Different structural solutions were found in respect of the optimal calmodulin permutation, the optimal peptide and the allosteric effect for scFvs binding to different antigen structures. Significantly, effective linker modules were identified for scFvs with both VH-VL and VL-VH architecture. The results suggest that this approach may offer a rapid, paratope-independent strategy to provide allosteric regulation of affinity for many other antibody scFvs. PMID:28055297

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xiao, Heng; Gustafson, William I.; Wang, Hailong

Subgrid-scale interactions between turbulence and radiation are potentially important for accurately reproducing marine low clouds in climate models. To better understand the impact of these interactions, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model is configured for large eddy simulation (LES) to study the stratocumulus-to-trade cumulus (Sc-to-Cu) transition. Using the GEWEX Atmospheric System Studies (GASS) composite Lagrangian transition case and the Atlantic Trade Wind Experiment (ATEX) case, it is shown that the lack of subgrid-scale turbulence-radiation interaction, as is the case in current generation climate models, accelerates the Sc-to-Cu transition. Our analysis suggests that in cloud-topped boundary layers subgrid-scale turbulence-radiation interactionsmore » contribute to stronger production of temperature variance, which in turn leads to stronger buoyancy production of turbulent kinetic energy and helps to maintain the Sc cover.« less

ADMAP (automatic data manipulation program)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mann, F. I.

1971-01-01

Instructions are presented on the use of ADMAP, (automatic data manipulation program) an aerospace data manipulation computer program. The program was developed to aid in processing, reducing, plotting, and publishing electric propulsion trajectory data generated by the low thrust optimization program, HILTOP. The program has the option of generating SC4020 electric plots, and therefore requires the SC4020 routines to be available at excution time (even if not used). Several general routines are present, including a cubic spline interpolation routine, electric plotter dash line drawing routine, and single parameter and double parameter sorting routines. Many routines are tailored for the manipulation and plotting of electric propulsion data, including an automatic scale selection routine, an automatic curve labelling routine, and an automatic graph titling routine. Data are accepted from either punched cards or magnetic tape.

Single-Cell RNA Sequencing of Glioblastoma Cells.

PubMed

Sen, Rajeev; Dolgalev, Igor; Bayin, N Sumru; Heguy, Adriana; Tsirigos, Aris; Placantonakis, Dimitris G

2018-01-01

Single-cell RNA sequencing (sc-RNASeq) is a recently developed technique used to evaluate the transcriptome of individual cells. As opposed to conventional RNASeq in which entire populations are sequenced in bulk, sc-RNASeq can be beneficial when trying to better understand gene expression patterns in markedly heterogeneous populations of cells or when trying to identify transcriptional signatures of rare cells that may be underrepresented when using conventional bulk RNASeq. In this method, we describe the generation and analysis of cDNA libraries from single patient-derived glioblastoma cells using the C1 Fluidigm system. The protocol details the use of the C1 integrated fluidics circuit (IFC) for capturing, imaging and lysing cells; performing reverse transcription; and generating cDNA libraries that are ready for sequencing and analysis.

Efficient production of soluble recombinant single chain Fv fragments by a Pseudomonas putida strain KT2440 cell factory.

PubMed

Dammeyer, Thorben; Steinwand, Miriam; Krüger, Sarah-C; Dübel, Stefan; Hust, Michael; Timmis, Kenneth N

2011-02-21

Recombinant antibody fragments have a wide range of applications in research, diagnostics and therapy. For many of these, small fragments like single chain fragment variables (scFv) function well and can be produced inexpensively in bacterial expression systems. Although Escherichia coli K-12 production systems are convenient, yields of different fragments, even those produced from codon-optimized expression systems, vary significantly. Where yields are inadequate, alternative production systems are needed. Pseudomonas putida strain KT2440 is a versatile biosafety strain known for good expression of heterologous genes, so we have explored its utility as a cell factory for production of scFvs. We have generated new broad host range scFv expression constructs and assessed their production in the Pseudomonas putida KT2440 host. Two scFvs bind either to human C-reactive protein or to mucin1, proteins of significant medical diagnostic and therapeutic interest, whereas a third is a model anti-lysozyme scFv. The KT2440 antibody expression systems produce scFvs targeted to the periplasmic space that were processed precisely and were easily recovered and purified by single-step or tandem affinity chromatography. The influence of promoter system, codon optimization for P. putida, and medium on scFv yield was examined. Yields of up to 3.5 mg/l of pure, soluble, active scFv fragments were obtained from shake flask cultures of constructs based on the original codon usage and expressed from the Ptac expression system, yields that were 2.5-4 times higher than those from equivalent cultures of an E. coli K-12 expression host. Pseudomonas putida KT2440 is a good cell factory for the production of scFvs, and the broad host range constructs we have produced allow yield assessment in a number of different expression hosts when yields in one initially selected are insufficient. High cell density cultivation and further optimization and refinement of the KT2440 cell factory will achieve additional increases in the yields of scFvs.

Quaternary borocarbides: New class of intermetallic superconductors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nagarajan, R.; Gupta, L. C.; Dhar, S. K.; Mazumdar, Chandan; Hossain, Zakir; Godart, C.; Levy-Clement, C.; Padalia, B. D.; Vijayaraghavan, R.

1995-01-01

Our recent discovery of superconductivity (SC) in the four-element multiphase Y-Ni-B-C system at an elevated temperature (TC approximately 12 K) has opened up great possibilities of identifying new superconducting materials and generating new physics. Superconductivity with Tc (greater than 20 K) higher than that known so far in bulk intermetallics has been observed in multiphase Y-Pd-B-C and Th-Pd-B-C systems and a family of single phase materials RENi2B2C (RE= Y, rare earth) have been found. Our investigations show YNi2B2C to be a strong coupling hard type-II SC. HC2(T) exhibits an unconventional temperature dependence. Specific heat and magnetization studies reveal coexistence of SC and magnetism in RNi2B2C (R = Ho, Er, Tm) with magnetic ordering temperatures (Tc approximately 8 K, 10.5 K, 11 K and Tm approximately 5 K, approximately 7K, approximately 4 K respectively) that are remarkably higher than those in known magnetic superconductors . Mu-SR studies suggest the possibility of Ni atoms carrying a moment in TmNi2B2C. Resistivity results suggests a double re-entrant transition (SC-normal-SC) in HoNi2B2C. RENi2B2C (RE = Ce, Nd, Gd) do not show SC down to 4.2 K. The Nd- and Gd-compounds order magnetically at approximately 4.5 K and approximately 19.5 K, respectively. Two SC transitions are observed in Y-Pd-B-C (Tc approximately 22 K, approximately 10 K) and in Th-Pd-B-C (Tc approximately 20 K, approximately 14 K) systems, which indicate that there are at least two structures which support SC in these borocarbides. In our multiphase ThNi2B2C we observe SC at approximately 6 K. No SC was seen in multiphase UNi2B2C, UPd2B2C, UOs2Ge2C and UPd5B3C(0.35) down to 4.2 K. Tc in YNi2B2C is depressed by substitutions (Gd, Th and U at Y-sites and Fe, Co at Ni-sites).

A Microneedle Patch for Measles and Rubella Vaccination Is Immunogenic and Protective in Infant Rhesus Macaques.

PubMed

Joyce, Jessica C; Carroll, Timothy D; Collins, Marcus L; Chen, Min-Hsin; Fritts, Linda; Dutra, Joseph C; Rourke, Tracy L; Goodson, James L; McChesney, Michael B; Prausnitz, Mark R; Rota, Paul A

2018-04-26

New methods to increase measles and rubella (MR) vaccination coverage are needed to achieve global and regional MR elimination goals. Here, we developed microneedle (MN) patches designed to administer MR vaccine by minimally trained personnel, leave no biohazardous sharps waste, remove the need for vaccine reconstitution, and provide thermostability outside the cold chain. This study evaluated the immunogenicity of MN patches delivering MR vaccine to infant rhesus macaques. Protective titers of measles neutralizing antibodies (>120 mIU/mL) were detected in 100% of macaques in the MN group and 75% of macaques in the subcutaneous (SC) injection group. Rubella neutralizing antibody titers were >10 IU/mL for all groups. All macaques in the MN group were protected from challenge with wild-type measles virus, whereas 75% were protected in the SC group. However, vaccination by the MN or SC route was unable to generate protective immune responses to measles in infant macaques pretreated with measles immunoglobulin to simulate maternal antibody. These results show, for the first time, that MR vaccine delivered by MN patch generated protective titers of neutralizing antibodies to both measles and rubella in infant rhesus macaques and afforded complete protection from measles virus challenge.

Operation Results of the Kstar Helium Refrigeration System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, H.-S.; Fauve, E.; Park, D.-S.; Joo, J.-J.; Moon, K.-M.; Cho, K.-W.; Na, H. K.; Kwon, M.; Yang, S.-H.; Gistau-Baguer, G.

2010-04-01

The "first plasma" (100 kA of controllable plasma current for 100 ms) of KSTAR has been successfully generated in July 2008. The major outstanding feature of KSTAR compared to most other Tokamaks is that all the magnet coils are superconducting (SC), which enables higher plasma current values for a longer time duration when the nominal operation status has been reached. However, to establish the operating condition for the SC coils, other cold components, such as thermal shields, coil-supporting structures, SC buslines, and current leads also must be maintained at proper cryogenic temperature levels. A helium refrigeration system (HRS) with an exergetic equivalent cooling power of 9 kW at 4.5 K has been installed for such purposes and successfully commissioned. In this proceeding, we will report on the operation results of the HRS during the first plasma campaign of KSTAR. Using the HRS, the 300-ton cold mass of KSTAR was cooled down from ambient to the operating temperature levels of each cold component. Stable and steady cryogenic conditions, proper for the generation of the "first plasma" have been maintained for three months, after which, all of the cold mass was warmed up again to ambient temperature.

Generation and analysis of the improved human HAL9/10 antibody phage display libraries.

PubMed

Kügler, Jonas; Wilke, Sonja; Meier, Doris; Tomszak, Florian; Frenzel, André; Schirrmann, Thomas; Dübel, Stefan; Garritsen, Henk; Hock, Björn; Toleikis, Lars; Schütte, Mark; Hust, Michael

2015-02-19

Antibody phage display is a proven key technology that allows the generation of human antibodies for diagnostics and therapy. From naive antibody gene libraries - in theory - antibodies against any target can be selected. Here we describe the design, construction and characterization of an optimized antibody phage display library. The naive antibody gene libraries HAL9 and HAL10, with a combined theoretical diversity of 1.5×10(10) independent clones, were constructed from 98 healthy donors using improved phage display vectors. In detail, most common phagemids employed for antibody phage display are using a combined His/Myc tag for detection and purification. We show that changing the tag order to Myc/His improved the production of soluble antibodies, but did not affect antibody phage display. For several published antibody libraries, the selected number of kappa scFvs were lower compared to lambda scFvs, probably due to a lower kappa scFv or Fab expression rate. Deletion of a phenylalanine at the end of the CL linker sequence in our new phagemid design increased scFv production rate and frequency of selected kappa antibodies significantly. The HAL libraries and 834 antibodies selected against 121 targets were analyzed regarding the used germline V-genes, used V-gene combinations and CDR-H3/-L3 length and composition. The amino acid diversity and distribution in the CDR-H3 of the initial library was retrieved in the CDR-H3 of selected antibodies showing that all CDR-H3 amino acids occurring in the human antibody repertoire can be functionally used and is not biased by E. coli expression or phage selection. Further, the data underline the importance of CDR length variations. The highly diverse universal antibody gene libraries HAL9/10 were constructed using an optimized scFv phagemid vector design. Analysis of selected antibodies revealed that the complete amino acid diversity in the CDR-H3 was also found in selected scFvs showing the functionality of the naive CDR-H3 diversity.

Fiber-laser frequency combs for the generation of tunable single-frequency laser lines, mm- and THz-waves and sinc-shaped Nyquist pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, Thomas

2015-03-01

High-quality frequency comb sources like femtosecond-lasers have revolutionized the metrology of fundamental physical constants. The generated comb consists of frequency lines with an equidistant separation over a bandwidth of several THz. This bandwidth can be broadened further to a super-continuum of more than an octave through propagation in nonlinear media. The frequency separation between the lines is defined by the repetition rate and the width of each comb line can be below 1 Hz, even without external stabilization. By extracting just one of these lines, an ultra-narrow linewidth, tunable laser line for applications in communications and spectroscopy can be generated. If two lines are extracted, the superposition of these lines in an appropriate photo-mixer produces high-quality millimeter- and THz-waves. The extraction of several lines can be used for the creation of almost-ideally sinc-shaped Nyquist pulses, which enable optical communications with the maximum-possible baud rate. Especially combs generated by low-cost, small-footprint fs-fiber lasers are very promising. However due to the resonator length, the comb frequencies have a typical separation of 80 - 100 MHz, far too narrow for the selection of single tones with standard optical filters. Here the extraction of single lines of an fs-fiber laser by polarization pulling assisted stimulated Brillouin scattering is presented. The application of these extracted lines as ultra-narrow, stable and tunable laser lines, for the generation of very high-quality mm and THz-waves with an ultra-narrow linewidth and phase noise and for the generation of sinc-shaped Nyquist pulses with arbitrary bandwidth and repetition rate is discussed.

Genetic diversity and genetic structure of consecutive breeding generations of golden mandarin fish (Siniperca scherzeri Steindachner) using microsatellite markers.

PubMed

Luo, X N; Yang, M; Liang, X F; Jin, K; Lv, L Y; Tian, C X; Yuan, Y C; Sun, J

2015-09-25

In this study, 12 polymorphic microsatellites were inves-tigated to determine the genetic diversity and structure of 5 consecu-tive selected populations of golden mandarin fish (Siniperca scherzeri Steindachner). The total numbers of alleles, average heterozyosity, and average polymorphism information content showed that the genetic diversity of these breeding populations was decreasing. Additionally, pairwise fixation index FST values among populations and Da values in-creased from F1 generation to subsequent generations (FST values from 0.0221-0.1408; Da values from 0.0608-0.1951). Analysis of molecular variance indicated that most genetic variations arise from individuals within populations (about 92.05%), while variation among populations accounted for only 7.95%. The allele frequency of the loci SC75-220 and SC101-222 bp changed regularly in the 5 breeding generations. Their frequencies were gradually increased and showed an enrichment trend, indicating that there may be genetic correlations between these 2 loci and breeding traits. Our study indicated that microsatellite markers are effective for assessing the genetic variability in the golden mandarin fish breeding program.

Amplification of Anti-Tumor Immunity Without Autoimmune Complications

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-05-01

penicillin, and 100 Ag/mL streptomycin. Generation of Her-2–expressing EL4 /E2 cells was described previously (29), and the cells were maintained in...was used to deliver eight pulses at 100 V for 25 ms/pulse. To measure tumor growth, mice were challenged s.c. with 2 105 EL4 /E2 cells in the flank...vaccinated with pE2TM and pGM-CSF, and then inoculated s.c. with EL4 /E2 cells 2 weeks after the last immunization. EL4 /E2 tumors developed and

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Radchenko, Valery; Engle, Jonathan Ward; Medvedev, Dmitri G.

Scandium-44 g (half-life 3.97 h) shows promise for application in positron emission tomography (PET), due to favorable decay parameters. One of the sources of 44gSc is the 44Ti/ 44gSc generator, which can conveniently provide this radioisotope on a daily basis at a diagnostic facility. Titanium-44 (half-life 60.0 a), in turn, can be obtained via proton irradiation of scandium metal targets. A substantial 44Ti product batch, however, requires high beam currents, long irradiation times and an elaborate chemical procedure for 44Ti isolation and purification. This study describes the production of a combined 175 MBq (4.7 mCi) batch yield of 44Ti inmore » week long proton irradiations at the Los Alamos Isotope Production Facility (LANL-IPF) and the Brookhaven Linac Isotope Producer (BNL-BLIP). A two-step ion exchange chromatography based chemical separation method is introduced: first, a coarse separation of 44Ti via anion exchange sorption in concentrated HCl results in a 44Tc/Sc separation factor of 10 2–10 3. A second, cation exchange based step in HCl media is then applied for 44Ti fine purification from residual Sc mass. In conclusion, this method yields a 90–97% 44Ti recovery with an overall Ti/Sc separation factor of ≥10 6.« less

Production of recombinant scFv against p24 of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 by phage display technology.

PubMed

Mohammadzadeh, Sara; Rajabibazl, Masoumeh; Fourozandeh, Mehdi; Rasaee, Mohammad Javad; Rahbarizadeh, Fatemeh; Mohammadi, Mohammad

2014-02-01

Phage display has a fundamental role in protein isolation and engineering. Isolated proteins produced with this method can be modified for specific binding and affinity. P24 is the most produced protein during human immune deficiency virus (HIV) replication; especially in the early steps of HIV-1 infection, its evaluation may have diagnostic values. To test the HIV-1 infection, p24 antigen assay appears to be a very promising alternative to RNA assays. In this study, we have generated a recombinant mouse single chain antibody fragment against p24 of the HIV-1 with the use of phage display technology. After isolation of antibody variable-region (V) gene of B cells extracted from the spleen of an immunized mouse, a library of single chain Fv fragments (scFv) was constructed. The library was used in a series of bio-panning processes against recombinant p24 protein expressed from Escherichia coli. The isolated scFv antibody specifically recognizes the HIV-1 capsid protein p24. The affinity constant of the isolated scFv antibody (MF85) was found to be 2×10(-9) M. Our studies showed that the MF85 scFV antibody has similar properties as that of monoclonal antibodies produced by the hybridoma technology.

A direct potential fitting RKR method: Semiclassical vs. quantal comparisons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tellinghuisen, Joel

2016-12-01

Quantal and semiclassical (SC) eigenvalues are compared for three diatomic molecular potential curves: the X state of CO, the X state of Rb2, and the A state of I2. The comparisons show higher levels of agreement than generally recognized, when the SC calculations incorporate a quantum defect correction to the vibrational quantum number, in keeping with the Kaiser modification. One particular aspect of this is better agreement between quantal and SC estimates of the zero-point vibrational energy, supporting the need for the Y00 correction in this context. The pursuit of a direct-potential-fitting (DPF) RKR method is motivated by the notion that some of the limitations of RKR potentials may be innate, from their generation by an exact inversion of approximate quantities: the vibrational energy Gυ and rotational constant Bυ from least-squares analysis of spectroscopic data. In contrast, the DPF RKR method resembles the quantal DPF methods now increasingly used to analyze diatomic spectral data, but with the eigenvalues obtained from SC phase integrals. Application of this method to the analysis of 9500 assigned lines in the I2A ← X spectrum fails to alter the quantal-SC disparities found for the A-state RKR curve from a previous analysis. On the other hand, the SC method can be much faster than the quantal method in exploratory work with different potential functions, where it is convenient to use finite-difference methods to evaluate the partial derivatives required in nonlinear fitting.

An anti-CD30 single-chain Fv selected by phage display and fused to Pseudomonas exotoxin A (Ki-4(scFv)-ETÁ) is a potent immunotoxin against a Hodgkin-derived cell line

PubMed Central

Klimka, A; Barth, S; Matthey, B; Roovers, R C; Lemke, H; Hansen, H; Arends, J-W; Diehl, V; Hoogenboom, H R; Engert, A

1999-01-01

The human CD30 receptor is highly overexpressed on the surface of Hodgkin Reed-Sternberg cells and has been shown to be an excellent target for selective immunotherapy using monoclonal antibody-based agents such as immunotoxins. To construct a new recombinant immunotoxin for possible clinical use in patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma, we have chosen the murine anti-CD30 hybridoma Ki-4 to generate a high-affinity Ki-4 single-chain variable fragment (scFv). Hybridoma V-genes were polymerase chain reaction-amplified, assembled, cloned and expressed as a mini-library for display on filamentous phage. Functional Ki-4 scFv were obtained by selection of binding phage on the Hodgkin lymphoma-derived, CD30-expressing cell line L540Cy. The selected recombinant Ki-4 scFv was shown to specifically bind to an overlapping epitope on the CD30 antigen with binding kinetics similar to those of the original antibody. The Ki-4 scFv was subsequently fused to a deletion mutant of Pseudomonas exotoxin A (ETÁ). The resulting immunotoxin Ki-4(scFv)-ETÁ specifically binds to CD30+ L540Cy cells and inhibits the protein synthesis by 50% at a concentration (IC50) of 43 pM. This recombinant immunotoxin is a promising candidate for further clinical evaluation in patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma or other CD30+ malignancies. © 1999 Cancer Research Campaign PMID:10376974

Gallic acid grafting modulates the oxidative potential of ferrimagnetic bioactive glass-ceramic SC-45.

PubMed

Corazzari, Ingrid; Tomatis, Maura; Turci, Francesco; Ferraris, Sara; Bertone, Elisa; Prenesti, Enrico; Vernè, Enrica

2016-12-01

Magnetite-containing glass-ceramics are promising bio-materials for replacing bone tissue after tumour resection. Thanks to their ferrimagnetic properties, they generate heat when subjected to an alternated magnetic field. In virtue of this they can be employed for the hyperthermic treatment of cancer. Moreover, grafting anti-cancer drugs onto their surface produces specific anti-neoplastic activity in these biomaterials. Gallic acid (GA) exhibits antiproliferative activity which renders it a promising candidate for anticancer applications. In the present paper, the reactivity of ferrimagnetic glass-ceramic SC-45 grafted with GA (SC-45+GA) was studied in terms of ROS release, rupture of the C-H bond of the formate molecule and Fenton reactivity by EPR/spin trapping in acellular systems. The ability of these materials to cause lipid peroxidation was assessed by UV-vis/TBA assay employing linoleic acid as a model of membrane lipid. The results, compared to those obtained with SC-45, showed that GA grafting (i) significantly enhanced the Fenton reactivity and (ii) restored the former reactivity of SC-45 towards both the C-H bond and linoleic acid which had been completely suppressed by prolonged contact with water. Fe 2+ centres at the surface are probably implicated. GA, acting as a pro-oxidant, reduces Fe 3+ to Fe 2+ by maintaining a supply of Fe 2+ at the surface of SC-45+GA. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemically Adjusting Plasma Temperature, Energy and Reactivity (CAPTEAR) Method Using NOx and Combustion for Selective Synthesis of Sc3N@C80 Metallic Nitride Fullerenes

PubMed Central

Stevenson, Steven; Thompson, M. Corey; Coumbe, H. Louie; Mackey, Mary A.; Coumbe, Curtis E.; Phillips, J. Paige

2008-01-01

Goals are (1) to selectively synthesize MNFs in lieu of empty-cage fullerenes (e.g., C60, C70) without compromising MNF yield and (2) to test our hypothesis that MNFs possess a different set of optimal formation parameters than empty-cage fullerenes. In this work, we introduce a novel approach for the selective synthesis of metallic nitride fullerenes (MNFs). This new method is “Chemically Adjusting Plasma Temperature, Energy and Reactivity” (CAPTEAR). The CAPTEAR approach with copper nitrate hydrate uses NOx vapor from NOx generating solid reagents, air and combustion to “tune” the temperature, energy and reactivity of the plasma environment. The extent of temperature, energy and reactive environment is stoichiometrically varied until optimal conditions for selective MNF synthesis are achieved. Analysis of soot extracts indicate that percentages of C60 and Sc3N@C80 are inversely related, whereas the percentages of C70 and higher empty-cage C2n fullerenes are largely unaffected. Hence, there may be a “competitive link” in the formation and mechanism of C60 and Sc3N@C80. Using this CAPTEAR method, purified MNFs (96% Sc3N@C80, 12 mg) have been obtained in soot extracts without a significant penalty in milligram yield when compared to control soot extracts (4% Sc3N@C80, 13 mg Sc3N@C80). The CAPTEAR process with Cu(NO3)2·2.5 H2O uses an exothermic nitrate moiety to suppress empty-cage fullerene formation, whereas Cu functions as a catalyst additive to offset the reactive plasma environment and boost the Sc3N@C80 MNF production. PMID:18052069

Generation of high-affinity, internalizing anti-FGFR2 single-chain variable antibody fragment fused with Fc for targeting gastrointestinal cancers.

PubMed

Borek, Aleksandra; Sokolowska-Wedzina, Aleksandra; Chodaczek, Grzegorz; Otlewski, Jacek

2018-01-01

Fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs) are promising targets for antibody-based cancer therapies, as their substantial overexpression has been found in various tumor cells. Aberrant activation of FGF receptor 2 (FGFR2) signaling through overexpression of FGFR2 and/or its ligands, mutations, or receptor amplification has been reported in multiple cancer types, including gastric, colorectal, endometrial, ovarian, breast and lung cancer. In this paper, we describe application of the phage display technology to produce a panel of high affinity single chain variable antibody fragments (scFvs) against the extracellular ligand-binding domain of FGFR2 (ECD_FGFR2). The binders were selected from the human single chain variable fragment scFv phage display libraries Tomlinson I + J and showed high specificity and binding affinity towards human FGFR2 with nanomolar KD values. To improve the affinity of the best binder selected, scFvF7, we reformatted it to a bivalent diabody format, or fused it with the Fc region (scFvF7-Fc). The scFvF7-Fc antibody construct presented the highest affinity for FGFR2, with a KD of 0.76 nM, and was selectively internalized into cancer cells overexpressing FGFR2, Snu-16 and NCI-H716. Finally, we prepared a conjugate of scFvF7-Fc with the cytotoxic drug monomethyl-auristatin E (MMAE) and evaluated its cytotoxicity. The conjugate delivered MMAE selectively to FGFR2-positive tumor cells. These results indicate that scFvF7-Fc-vcMMAE is a highly potent molecule for the treatment of cancers with FGFR2 overexpression.

Intracerebral CpG Immunotherapy with Carbon Nanotubes Abrogates Growth of Subcutaneous Melanomas in Mice

PubMed Central

Fan, Haitao; Zhang, Ian; Chen, Xuebo; Zhang, Leying; Wang, Huaqing; Fonseca, Anna Da; Manuel, Edwin R.; Diamond, Don J.; Raubitschek, Andrew; Badie, Behnam

2012-01-01

Purpose Recently, we showed that intratumoral delivery of low-dose, immunostimulatory CpG oligodeoxynucleotides conjugated with carbon nanotubes (CNT-CpG) was more effective than free CpG and not only eradicated intracranial (i.c.) gliomas, but also induced antitumor immunity that protected mice from subsequent i.c. or systemic tumor rechallenge. Here, we examined if the same “intracerebral immunotherapy” strategy could be applied to the treatment of metastatic brain tumors. Experimental Design Mice with both i.c. and subcutaneous (s.c.) melanomas were injected intratumorally with CNT-CpG into either location. Antitumor responses were assessed by flow cytometry, bioluminescent imaging, and animal survival. Results When given s.c., CNT-CpG response was mostly local, and it only modestly inhibited the growth of i.c. melanomas. However, i.c. CNT-CpG abrogated the growth of not only brain, but also s.c. tumors. Furthermore, compared to s.c. injections, i.c. CNT-CpG elicited a stronger inflammatory response that resulted in more potent antitumor cytotoxicity and improved in vivo trafficking of effector cells into both i.c. and s.c. tumors. To investigate factors that accounted for these observations, CNT-CpG biodistribution and cellular inflammatory responses were examined in both tumor locations. Intracranial melanomas retained the CNT-CpG particles longer and were infiltrated by TLR-9-positive microglia. In contrast, myeloid-derived suppressive cells were more abundant in s.c. tumors. Although depletion of these cells prior to s.c. CNT-CpG therapy enhanced its cytotoxic responses, antitumor responses to brain melanomas were unchanged. Conclusions These findings suggest that intracerebral CNT-CpG immunotherapy is more effective than systemic therapy in generating antitumor responses that target both brain and systemic melanomas. PMID:22904105

Intracerebral CpG immunotherapy with carbon nanotubes abrogates growth of subcutaneous melanomas in mice.

PubMed

Fan, Haitao; Zhang, Ian; Chen, Xuebo; Zhang, Leying; Wang, Huaqing; Da Fonseca, Anna; Manuel, Edwin R; Diamond, Don J; Raubitschek, Andrew; Badie, Behnam

2012-10-15

Recently, we showed that intratumoral delivery of low-dose, immunostimulatory CpG oligodeoxynucleotides conjugated with carbon nanotubes (CNT-CpG) was more effective than free CpG and not only eradicated intracranial (i.c.) gliomas but also induced antitumor immunity that protected mice from subsequent i.c. or systemic tumor rechallenge. Here, we examined whether the same "intracerebral immunotherapy" strategy could be applied to the treatment of metastatic brain tumors. Mice with both i.c. and s.c. melanomas were injected intratumorally with CNT-CpG into either location. Antitumor responses were assessed by flow cytometry, bioluminescent imaging, and animal survival. When given s.c., CNT-CpG response was mostly local, and it only modestly inhibited the growth of i.c. melanomas. However, i.c. CNT-CpG abrogated the growth of not only brain but also s.c. tumors. Furthermore, compared with s.c. injections, i.c. CNT-CpG elicited a stronger inflammatory response that resulted in more potent antitumor cytotoxicity and improved in vivo trafficking of effector cells into both i.c. and s.c. tumors. To investigate factors that accounted for these observations, CNT-CpG biodistribution and cellular inflammatory responses were examined in both tumor locations. Intracranial melanomas retained the CNT-CpG particles longer and were infiltrated by Toll-like receptor (TLR-9)-positive microglia. In contrast, myeloid-derived suppressive cells were more abundant in s.c. tumors. Although depletion of these cells before s.c. CNT-CpG therapy enhanced its cytotoxic responses, antitumor responses to brain melanomas were unchanged. These findings suggest that intracerebral CNT-CpG immunotherapy is more effective than systemic therapy in generating antitumor responses that target both brain and systemic melanomas. ©2012 AACR

Combined processes of ozonation and supercritical water oxidation for landfill leachate degradation.

PubMed

Scandelai, Ana Paula Jambers; Cardozo Filho, Lúcio; Martins, Danielly Cruz Campos; Freitas, Thabata Karoliny Formicoli de Souza; Garcia, Juliana Carla; Tavares, Célia Regina Granhen

2018-04-25

Leachate is a highly variable, heterogeneous and recalcitrant wastewater generated in landfills which may contain high concentrations of many organic and inorganic compounds, hampering the application of a single technique in its treatment. Therefore, this paper assessed leachate degradation through supercritical water oxidation (ScWO) as well as combined processes of ozonation and supercritical water oxidation (O 3 /ScWO and ScWO/O 3 ), a yet innovative combination. Ozonation was carried out at different reaction times (30-120 min). ScWO was developed at 600 °C, 23 MPa, and spatial time (τ) from 29 to 52 s. A combination of ozonation (30 min) and supercritical water oxidation process (O 3 -30'/ScWO) was the most efficient technique for the degradation of the leachate assessed. These conditions enabled to remove high values of apparent and true color (92% and 97%, respectively), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD 5,20 ) (95%), chemical oxygen demand (COD) (92%), total organic carbon (TOC) (79%), nitrite (78%), nitrate (84%), total (96%), dissolved (96%) and suspended (94%) solids. In addition, the combined process presented significant decrease in electric conductivity (EC) (68%) and less leachate turbidity removal (43%). Except for ammonia and nitrite, all parameters of the leachate treated by O 3 -30'/ScWO met the specifications of Brazilian legislation (CONAMA Resolutions No. 357/2005 and No. 430/2011) for the disposal of wastewater in water bodies. Besides, both processes are considered to be clean technologies. This shows the great possibility of applying the O 3 /ScWO combination to landfills leachates. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Combining neurotrophin-transduced schwann cells and rolipram to promote functional recovery from subacute spinal cord injury.

PubMed

Flora, Govinder; Joseph, Gravil; Patel, Samik; Singh, Amanpreet; Bleicher, Drew; Barakat, David J; Louro, Jack; Fenton, Stephanie; Garg, Maneesh; Bunge, Mary Bartlett; Pearse, Damien D

2013-01-01

Following spinal cord injury (SCI), both an inhibitory environment and lack of intrinsic growth capacity impede axonal regeneration. In a previous study, prevention of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (AMP) hydrolysis by the phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor rolipram, in combination with Schwann cell (SC) grafts, promoted significant supraspinal and proprioceptive fiber growth and/or sparing and improved locomotion. In another study, transplanted SCs transduced to generate a bifunctional neurotrophin (D15A) led to significant increases in graft SCs and axons, including supraspinal and myelinated axons. Here we studied the growth and myelination of local and supraspinal axons and functional outcome following the combination of rolipram administration and neurotrophin-transduced SC implantation after SCI. Rolipram was administered subcutaneously for 4 weeks immediately after contusion at vertebral T8 (25.0-mm weight drop, MASCIS impactor). GFP or GFP-D15A-transduced SCs were injected into the injury epicenter 1 week after SCI. GFP-D15A SC grafts and GFP SC grafts with rolipram contained significantly more serotonergic fibers compared to GFP SCs. SC myelinated axons were increased significantly in GFP SC with rolipram-treated animals compared to animals receiving SCI alone. Rolipram administered with either GFP or GFP-D15A SCs significantly increased numbers of brain stem-derived axons below the lesion/implant area and improved hindlimb function. Compared to the single treatments, the combination led to the largest SC grafts, the highest numbers of serotonergic fibers in the grafts, and increased numbers of axons from the reticular formation below the lesion/implant area and provided the greatest improvement in hindlimb function. These findings demonstrate the therapeutic potential for a combination therapy involving the maintenance of cyclic AMP levels and neurotrophin-transduced SCs to repair the subacutely injured spinal cord.

Molecular analysis of mixed endometrial carcinomas shows clonality in most cases

PubMed Central

Hoang, Lien N.; Almadani, Noorah; Li, Xiaodong; Soslow, Robert A; Gilks, C. Blake; Lee, Cheng-Han

2016-01-01

Mixed endometrial carcinoma refers to a tumor that is comprised of two or more distinct histotypes. We studied 18 mixed-type endometrial carcinomas - 11 mixed serous and low-grade endometrioid carcinomas (SC/EC), 5 mixed clear cell and low-grade endometrioid carcinomas (CCC/EC), and 2 mixed clear cell and serous carcinoma (CCC/SC), using targeted next generation sequencing and immunohistochemistry to compare the molecular profiles of the different histotypes present in each case. In 16 of 18 cases there was molecular evidence that both components shared a clonal origin. Eight cases (6 EC/SC, 1 EC/CCC and 1 SC/CCC) showed a serous carcinoma molecular profile that was the same in both components. Five cases (3 CCC/EC and 2 SC/EC) showed a shared endometrioid molecular profile and identical mismatch repair protein (MMR) deficiency in both components. A single SC/EC case harbored the same POLE exonuclease domain mutation in both components. One SC/CCC and one EC/CCC case showed both shared and unique molecular features in the two histotype components, suggesting early molecular divergence from a common clonal origin. In two cases, there were no shared molecular features and these appear to be biologically unrelated synchronous tumors. Overall, these results show that the different histologic components in mixed endometrial carcinomas typically share the same molecular aberrations. Mixed endometrial carcinomas most commonly occur through morphological mimicry, whereby tumors with serous-type molecular profile show morphological features of endometrioid or clear cell carcinoma, or through underlying deficiency in DNA nucleotide repair, with resulting rapid accrual of mutations and intratumoral phenotypic heterogeneity. Less commonly, mixed endometrial carcinomas are the result of early molecular divergence from a common progenitor clone or are synchronous biologically unrelated tumors (collision tumors). PMID:26492180

Measurement of the Biomechanical Function and Structure of Ex Vivo Drying Skin Using Raman Spectral Analysis and its Modulation with Emollient Mixtures.

PubMed

Biniek, Krysta; Tfayli, Ali; Vyumvuhore, Raoul; Quatela, Alessia; Galliano, Marie-Florence; Delalleau, Alexandre; Baillet-Guffroy, Arlette; Dauskardt, Reinhold H; Duplan, Helene

2018-06-22

An important aspect of the biomechanical behavior of the stratum corneum (SC) is the drying stresses that develop with water loss. These stresses act as a driving force for damage in the form of chapping and cracking. Betasitosterol is a plant sterol with a structure similar to cholesterol, a key component in the intercellular lipids of the outermost layer of human skin, the SC. Cholesterol plays an important role in stabilizing the SC lipid structure, and altered levels of cholesterol have been linked with SC barrier abnormalities. Betasitosterol is currently applied topically to skin for treatment of wounds and burns. However, it is unknown what effect betasitosterol has on the biomechanical barrier function of skin. Here, by analyzing the drying stress profile of SC generated during a kinetics of dehydration, we show that betasitosterol, in combination with two emollient molecules, isocetyl stearoyl stearate (ISS) and glyceryl tri-2-ethylhexanoate (GTEH), causes a significant modulation of the drying stress behavior of the SC by reducing both the maximal peak stress height and average plateau of the drying stress profile. Raman spectra analyses demonstrate that the combination of betasitosterol with the two emollients, ISS and GTEH, allows a high water retention capacity within the SC, while the lipid conformational order by increasing the amount of trans conformers. Our study highlights the advantage of combining a biomechanical approach together with Raman spectroscopy in engineering a suitable combination of molecules for alleviating dryness and dry skin damage. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Bispecific single-chain diabody-immunoliposomes targeting endoglin (CD105) and fibroblast activation protein (FAP) simultaneously.

PubMed

Rabenhold, Markus; Steiniger, Frank; Fahr, Alfred; Kontermann, Roland E; Rüger, Ronny

2015-03-10

Liposomes are well-established drug delivery systems with cancer chemotherapy as main focus. To increase the cellular drug delivery, liposomes can be endowed with ligands, e.g. recombinant antibody fragments, which ensure specific cell interaction. Multispecific immunoliposomes can be prepared to improve the liposome to cell interaction by targeting multiple different targets at the same time, for instance by coupling two or more different ligands to the liposomal surface, resulting in a synergistic or additive increase in binding. An alternative approach is the use of bispecific ligands to address at least two different targets. For this purpose we cloned a single-chain diabody fragment (scDb`), a bispecific molecule targeting two antigens, endoglin (CD105) and fibroblast activation protein (FAP), expressed on cells of the tumor microenvironment. As model cell system, a human fibrosarcoma cell line was used expressing endoglin and FAP simultaneously. Monospecific immunoliposomes directed either against endoglin or FAP were compared in vitro for cell binding and cytotoxic activity with bispecific dual-targeted scFv`-IL (bispecific scFv`FAP/CD105-IL) and bispecific single-chain diabody`-IL (scDb`CD105/FAP-IL) targeting endoglin and FAP simultaneously. In the underlying study, bispecific scFv`FAP/CD105-IL interacted stronger with cells expressing FAP and endoglin (both targets simultaneously) compared to the monospecific immunoliposomes. Furthermore, bispecific scDb`-immunoliposomes increased the cell interaction massively and showed enhanced cytotoxicity against target cells using doxorubicin-loaded immunoliposomes. The use of recombinant bispecific ligands as scDb`-molecules facilitates the generation of bispecific immunoliposomes by using the established post-insertion technique, enabling an extension of the ligand specificity spectrum via genetic modification. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Carrier envelope offset frequency detection and stabilization of a diode-pumped mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser.

PubMed

Gürel, Kutan; Wittwer, Valentin J; Hakobyan, Sargis; Schilt, Stéphane; Südmeyer, Thomas

2017-03-15

We demonstrate the first diode-pumped Ti:sapphire laser frequency comb. It is pumped by two green laser diodes with a total pump power of 3 W. The Ti:sapphire laser generates 250 mW of average output power in 61-fs pulses at a repetition rate of 216 MHz. We generated an octave-spanning supercontinuum spectrum in a photonic-crystal fiber and detected the carrier envelope offset (CEO) frequency in a standard f-to-2f interferometer setup. We stabilized the CEO-frequency through direct current modulation of one of the green pump diodes with a feedback bandwidth of 55 kHz limited by the pump diode driver used in this experiment. We achieved a reduction of the CEO phase noise power spectral density by 140 dB at 1 Hz offset frequency. An advantage of diode pumping is the ability for high-bandwidth modulation of the pump power via direct current modulation. After this experiment, we studied the modulation capabilities and noise properties of green pump laser diodes with improved driver electronics. The current-to-output-power modulation transfer function shows a bandwidth larger than 1 MHz, which should be sufficient to fully exploit the modulation bandwidth of the Ti:sapphire gain for CEO stabilization in future experiments.

Syntheses, characterization and nonlinear optical properties of sodium-scandium carbonate Na5Sc(CO3)4·2H2O

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jie; Luo, Min; Ye, Ning

2014-10-01

A novel nonlinear optical (NLO) material Na5Sc(CO3)4·2H2O has been synthesized under a subcritical hydrothermal condition. The structure is determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and further characterized by TG analyses and UV-vis-NIR diffuse reflectance spectrum. It crystallizes in the tetragonal space group P-421c, with a = b = 7.4622(6) Å, C = 11.5928(15) Å. The Second-harmonic generation (SHG) on polycrystalline samples was measured using the Kurtz and Perry technique, which indicated that Na5Sc(CO3)4·2H2O was a phase-matchable material, and its measured SHG coefficient was about 1.8 times as large as that of d36 (KDP). The results from the UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy study of the powder samples indicated that the short-wavelength absorption edges of Na5Sc(CO3)4·2H2O is about 220 nm, suggesting that this crystal is a promising UV nonlinear optical (NLO) materials.